UN News Centre: The United Nations today 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 today 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, an amount that as of today is nearly 39 per cent funded at $134 million. Ms. Amos noted that the new amount of $348 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....
US Department of Defense photo of relief effort in the Philippines, November 17, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment