UN on Ondoy relief: The world should pitch in

The United Nations has appealed to the international community to extend more help to the victims of tropical storm Ondoy, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. According to a DFA statement, the UN’s “flash appeal" was planned to last for six months and was developed in partnership with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). According to the UN, a flash appeal provides the framework for a common inter-agency understanding of needs and priorities based on the best information currently available and will be revised after a month, when it will present a more complete picture of current humanitarian needs and pace of recovery. Previous flash appeals from the UN included the 2005 Indian Ocean Earthquake-Tsunami relief. “To address the most urgent needs, a request has been made to the Central Emergency Response Fund, and is under consideration as of the publication of this Appeal," the UN said in a statement. The flash appeal, through the International Organization for Migration and United Nations agencies, sought to secure $74,021,809 “to address the immediate needs of approximately 1,000,000 of the 2,507,000 people that the Government currently reports have been affected by the tropical storm and floods." The international community has so far extended P566 million as assistance to Ondoy’s victims as of Friday, the DFA said. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said that aside from the NDCC, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and other agencies have been authorized to receive the donations. The world’s help The DFA said the European Union, through a letter sent by its President Jose Manuel Barroso to Mrs. Arroyo, expressed sympathy and its solidarity with the government and the calamity victims. It said the EC has dispatched a “needs assessment" team to identify the needs of people affected by the storm and has earmarked Є2 million (P138 million) in urgent relief funding. France's Foreign Ministry has given an initial Є10,000 (P690,000) to the PNRC as its initial contribution. Germany is providing Є500,000 (P35 million) in emergency aid to the victims, to be placed at the disposal of German humanitarian aid organizations. Spain's embassy in the Philippines, through its Technical Cooperation Office, will immediately advance Є150,000 (P10 million) for food aid. Other urgent assistance amounting to Є250,000 (P17 million) is also being sent through the Red Cross and the NGO Accion Contra el Hambre. Spain’s total contribution amounts to Є1 million (P69 million). The Swiss government also offered CHF250,000 (P11 million) to support emergency operations, which will be funded by the Swiss Red Cross and sent via the PNRC. "The combined European aid totals P254 million," the DFA said. Countries in other regions and other international organizations have similarly offered aid. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon assured Romulo in New York of help from the UN and the international community. The UN World Food Program, UN Children’s Fund, World Health Organization and the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance are already in action in affected areas. Earlier, the US government donated US$100,000 for relief efforts. China pitched in US$100,000 in check donation and US$10,000 to the PNRC, while the Chinese firm Huawei donated US$30,000. Singapore raised US$30,000 and an additional US$20,000 in seed money to jumpstart a donations drive by the Singapore Red Cross. The Japanese government is sending $220,000 worth of relief goods. Australia committed Australian$1 million (US$879,000) to support response and recovery activities. The UN World Health Organization has launched earlier a $42,000 relief fund while Korea has donated emergency relief aid in the form of rice, tents, medical supplies and other essential items worth $300,000 coursed through the DSWD. "A Korean company, OCI Company Ltd., also donated $50,000 through the Philippine National Red Cross," the DFA said. The Canadian government has pledged Canadian$5 million (US$4.7 million). Officers and staff of the Embassy of Canada in Manila raised funds among themselves and friends and donated $50,000 for the flood victims. - Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV