Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the N-Peace awards ceremony in New World Hotel, Makati City. Among the recipients is Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles (R). With them is Australian Amb. Bill Tweddell. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Australian government on Monday announced that it would offer an additional P126-million aid to the victims of Typhoon Pablo as a response to the latest appeal made by the Philippine government and the United Nations for the on-going humanitarian crisis caused by the typhoon.
In a statement, the Australian embassy in Manila noted that the additional funds would be used to provide emergency shelters, including improvements of existing shelter facilities in the worst-hit areas. It said that emergency cash-for-work programs would be funded for debris clearing and would provide critically needed income to workers across the affected areas.
It noted that six weeks after the tragedy hit Mindanao, shelter and livelihood remained “critical needs with over 840,000 people still displaced, including 700,000 people whose livelihoods were destroyed by the typhoon.”
“The scale of destruction caused by Typhoon Pablo is staggering, and I witnessed this when I recently visited Compostela Valley. My heart went out to the families who continue to suffer,” Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell said in a statement.
“We commend the Philippine Government for its effective and well-coordinated efforts to address this crisis. Australia stands ready to help Filipino families affected by this disaster get back on their feet – and I know they can. Visiting Compostela Valley and seeing the generous and sincere smiles of the people only made me admire and appreciate the Filipinos’ resilience amidst adversity,” Twedell added.
Last week, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) appealed for nearly a billion pesos in additional assistance for the Philippines to fund humanitarian emergencies affecting children in Mindanao due to conflict and the aftermath of the typhoon.
The Australian embassy, meanwhile also noted that Australia’s total contribution of support for people affected by Typhoon Pablo reached P432 million.
“To prepare for further humanitarian responses in the Philippines, Australia will also provide a further P84 million (A$2 million) to replenish pre-positioned stocks used in the Philippine Government’s initial response to Typhoon Pablo,” it said.
It also noted that aside from humanitarian assistance, Australia’s aid program also aimed to target P462 million of its annual aid program budget of P5 billion on reducing disaster risk and enhancing disaster preparedness across the country.