Canada offers additional P70M in aid for ‘Pablo’ victims

MANILA, Philippines – Canada on Friday announced that it was giving the Philippines an additional P70 million to support the conduct of relief efforts for the victims of typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha), the worst storm to hit the country this year.

“Canada is responding to the increasing needs of the people of the Philippines as they face the alarming devastation caused by the typhoon,” Minister of International Cooperation Julian Fantino said in an emailed statement by the Canadian embassy in Manila.

“We are helping families survive by providing critical humanitarian assistance,” he added.

The statement noted that the grant, to be coursed through the Canadian International Development Agency (Cida), would be given to three organizations tasked to provide food, safe drinking water, emergency shelter and other assistance to the approximately 480,000 affected people in worst-hit areas.

It said that the 700,000 Canadian dollar would be given to the United Nations World Food Programme for access to emergency food assistance, while 350,000 Canadian dollar would be given to the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) for emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance.

Meanwhile, another 700,000 Canadian dollar would be given to the International Organization for Migration for emergency shelters and camp support, including coordination and management, for people displaced as a result of the typhoon.

Canada had earlier given the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies P10 million in aid for relief support.

Latest reports noted that the death toll from the typhoon, which battered Visayas and Mindanao more than a week ago, had risen to 906, while 900 others remained missing.

The Philippine government also noted that damage in infrastructure, agriculture, and properties was estimated at P15 billion, and that it had affected at least 5 million people.