UN pleads for funds for the Philippines

(Vatican Radio) Two months after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, the aid operation has reached “a normal mode” according to Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA).

While the work effort has stabilized, there remains much to do. Four million people have been displaced and the infrastructure has been ruined. The UN is looking at “how to help people rebuild their lives,” Laerke said.

Laerke noted the immediate problem is shelter and funding. There are 100,000 people living in evacuation centres and tents. More funding is needed to provide people with adequate, semi-permanent housing. At this point, only 20 per cent of the goal has been reached.

Listen to an excerpt of the press conference given by Jens Laerke: