United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Honorary Patron Kris Aquino gestures next to relief supplies intended for the surviving victims of the devastating flash floods that hit the southern Philippines in this Dec. 23, 2011, file photo. The office of the UNHCR on Monday, Dec. 4, 2013, said it now needed $19.2 million to deal with “primary protection issues” for communities devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” more than double the $8.3 million it had raised so far. AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO
MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations refugee agency has launched a fresh appeal for emergency aid for survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” which smashed into the Philippines last month, leaving nearly 6,000 people dead and close to 2,000 others missing.
The Philippines faces years of expensive reconstruction and the United States, leading the global response to Yolanda (international name: “Haiyan”), has pledged to help its longtime ally rebuild the numerous communities flattened by the storm on Nov. 8.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen our Filipino friends and partners from across the region and the United States join together to rescue victims, care for the injured and the homeless and begin to rebuild,” US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday in a video message to delegates to a Southeast Asian youth summit being held in Manila.
‘We help friends in trouble’
“Because when our friends are in trouble, we help. And today my message to the Philippines and our allies and partners across the Asia-Pacific is that we stand with you. As you move forward, you will always have a friend and partner in the United States of America,” Obama said.
On Monday, the new US Ambassador to the Philippines, Philip Goldberg, told reporters that the United States would work with the Philippine government in reconstructing and rehabilitating typhoon-ravaged communities in the Eastern Visayas, the region that took the brunt of Yolanda’s fury.
Canadian assurance
Canada’s new ambassador to the Philippines, Neil Reeder, also assured the country on Monday that his country will continue to bring relief to the survivors of the typhoon.
“Canadians, including the Filipino community in Canada, are reaching out to raise funds and assist those in need in your country,” Reeder told reporters in Malacañang after presenting his credentials to President Aquino.
Canada has allocated nearly $20 million in aid for the Philippines and launched a fundraising system in which the government will match every dollar donated by a Canadian to an accredited charity.
“We are all deeply impressed by the resilience and determination of the people of the Philippines to rebuild and to recover from this tragedy, and by the ongoing work of your government to lead the disaster relief and reconstruction effort,” Reeder said.
“In that regard, Canada has stood up through humanitarian assistance and with the presence of Canadian Armed Forces personnel on Panay Island where they will provide safe water, medical and engineering services to your citizens, working closely with the local authorities,” he said.
Beefed-up aid appeal
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday said it now needed $19.2 million to deal with “primary protection issues” for devastated communities, more than double the $8.3 million it had raised so far.
“Almost a month after the typhoon, its effects show no sign of abating,” said Bernard Kerblat, UNHCR representative in the Philippines.
“Today, more than ever, protection and humanitarian assistance are needed to ensure that no more lives will be taken by the consequences of this devastating typhoon,” Kerblat said.
Tens of thousands of families remain displaced and an estimated 5,000 people are believed to be fleeing the hard-hit central islands of Leyte and Samar every day for the country’s main cities of Manila and Cebu, he said in a statement.
Yolanda, one of the strongest in Philippine history, unleashed 315-kilometer-per-hour winds and tsunami-like storm surges across the central islands on Nov. 8, killing 5,680 people, with 1,779 others still missing.
The typhoon wrecked dozens of towns and left more than four million survivors needing emergency assistance, including 125,000 who remain in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday.
The beefed-up aid appeal launched by the refugee agency is aimed at distributing more life-saving supplies, including 98,600 plastic sheets, 7,500 tents and 19,000 solar lanterns, among other items.
The United Nations announced last week that it would shortly increase its overall appeal, which currently stands at a total of $348 million, of which about half has been raised.
“This new (UNHCR) appeal will form part of the upcoming UN aid appeal,” Johanna Morden, external relations associate for the UNHCR told Agence France-Presse.
US assistance
Obama’s statement to the Lead Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Youth Summit at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila Tuesday was a reiteration of his earlier message to the Philippines in the initial stage of relief and recovery, where the United States provided invaluable supplies and logistics through its military.
The United States has provided $52 million to support relief and recovery work in the Philippines, including assistance from the US Agency for International Development and the Department of Defense.
On the military side, US assistance included the deployment of some 13,400 soldiers, 66 aircraft and 12 ships. US ships and airplanes delivered some 2,495 tons of relief supplies and flew some 21,000 people out of the disaster zone, according to the US Embassy in Manila.
In a message that ran for a little more than two minutes, Obama addressed delegates to the three-day summit, a “groundbreaking” event organized by the US Embassy and the Ayala Foundation that brought together graduates of US-sponsored exchange programs that aim to develop “a stronger ‘Asean identity’ and sharpening leadership skills of the Asean youth.”
More opportunities
“Prosperity and peace in the Asia-Pacific means more opportunities for all of us, including the United States. And I want to make sure we’re building that future together,” Obama said, adding that the present generation of youth leaders “is going to define the Asia-Pacific for decades to come.”
Obama also launched the Young Southeast Asian Leaders’ Initiative, which will serve as a forum for the region’s emerging leaders to access opportunities that would help them maximize their potential.
“We’ll join with extraordinary young men and women like you on the things you care about most. We’ll help you strengthen the kinds of networks you’re building at this summit. We’ll give more young people the opportunity to pursue quality education in your countries, including in science and technology, and to study in America,” Obama said.
“We’ll deepen the ties between us with new training and exchanges. And in partnership with businesses and investors, we’ll help more young entrepreneurs start their own ventures and create jobs,” he said.
Trip to Asia
Obama mentioned his planned visit to the Asia-Pacific region in April, but did not disclose details of his itinerary.
“I’ll be making a return visit to the region this April and when I do, I look forward to meeting with some of the young leaders who are part of this initiative,” Obama said, stressing that he held the region in a “special place” in his heart, having spent his youth in Indonesia.
Earlier, Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice announced his plans to proceed with his Asian trip, an important visit considering America’s current defense pivot to the Asia-Pacific region.
The US leader was supposed to visit the Philippines and Malaysia and take part in international summits in Indonesia and Brunei in October, but called off the tour amid a partial shutdown of the US government.—With a report from AFP
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