UN raises emergency aid appeal for Philippines to $348 million
New York, 23 November 2013: The United Nations on Friday increased its appeal for
Philippines typhoon relief by nearly 16 per cent to $348 million with a further rise
likely as aid organizations move into top gear in the face of a disaster that killed
thousands of people and affected 13.25 million overall.
“A massive disaster
like this requires a massive response,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator Valerie Amos told
a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York just back from her second visit to
the area in a week following the devastation wrought by Typhoon Haiyan on 8 November.
“Much
more needs to be done. Food, clean water and shelter remain the top priorities. Vast
numbers of vulnerable people are still exposed to bad weather and need basic shelter.
Families who have lost their homes will need substantial longer-term support from
the international community to ensure they have the means to rebuild their houses.”
The
Government on Friday raised the death toll from Haiyan to more than 5,200 as it still
tries to verify the total number of dead and missing, with communities on remote islands
or in mountainous areas still not reached. Over 5 million of those affected are children,
and more than 4 million people have been left homeless with over 1 million homes destroyed.
When it first launched its so-called flash appeal on 12 November, the UN sought
$301 million, an amount that as of today is nearly 39 per cent funded at $134 million.
Ms. Amos noted that the new amount of $348 million is expected to rise as there are
still communities yet to be reached, and a major review of the appeal is slated for
the first week in December.
“The logistical challenges have been enormous,
with many roads blocked and airports unusable in the first few days,” she said. “The
impact on essential services, hospitals, banks and markets, as well as the lack of
fuel, transport, water and power, made it very difficult to scale up aid as quickly
as was needed.”
Describing her latest visit, Ms. Amos added: “I have seen and
heard harrowing tales of desperate need and profound loss. I also heard reports of
immense bravery and heart-warming compassion.
The UN World Food Programme
(WFP) has reached over 2.5 million people with basic food aid, more than 130 local
and foreign medical teams are providing emergency treatment, and thousands of tarpaulins
and plastic sheets have been distributed, but vast numbers of vulnerable people are
still exposed to bad weather and need basic shelter.
“I am very concerned that
some 1.5 million children are at risk of acute malnutrition and close to 800,000 pregnant
and nursing mothers need nutritional help. People living with chronic disease and
other vulnerable groups need medication and specialist care,” Ms. Amos said.
She
thanked the international community for its “great solidarity” with the Philippines
people and donors for their generous and rapid response, but highlighted the global
strain on UN supply lines in responding to multiple emergencies.
“We count
on donors to help us rapidly address this shortage of supplies,” she said. “The people
of the Philippines deserve our unwavering support as they survive this crisis, start
rebuilding their lives and have hope for a better future.”Source: UN