TWENTY-THREE countries along with several international organizations have already sent different types of assistance to victims of super typhoon Yolanda. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), they have already monitored a total of 23 countries along with the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) that have offered humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the victims of Yolanda. The DFA has been in receipt of many messages of condolences and solidarity and also offers of foreign assistance to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in typhoon-hit areas from the international community, related DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez. He said the offers of assistance vary from deployment of search-and-rescue teams and medical personnel; provision of relief goods, such as food, water, tents, and blankets, among others; provision of medical supplies and vaccine; deployment of ships and aircrafts; and cash donations. The countries that have made offers of assistance include: 1. Australia – financial aid 2. Belgium – medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 3. Canada – financial aid; in-kind donations 4. China – financial aid 5. Denmark – financial aid 6. Finland – in-kind donations 7. Germany - in-kind donations, medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 8. Hungary – medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 9. Indonesia – in-kind donations 10. Israel – medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 11. Japan – medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 12. Malaysia – medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel, supplies 13. The Netherlands – financial aid 14. New Zealand – financial aid 15. Norway – financial aid 16. Russia – medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 17. Singapore – financial aid 18. Spain – in-kind donations 19. Sweden – financial aid 20. Turkey – in-kind donations, medics, rapid response team, search and rescue personnel 21. United Arab Emirates – financial aid 22. United Kingdom – financial aid 23. United States of America - financial aid, deployment of ships and aircrafts, medics rapid response team, search and rescue personnel Aside from the 23 countries, Hernandez noted that Taiwan had also allocated financial assistance and various relief items for the victims. As for the EU, Hernandez said it has pledged financial aid, in-kind donations, and the deployment of medical and search and rescue teams. The Philippines has also accepted the offer of the United Nations (UN) for the issuance of a flash appeal which will be launched soon, added Hernandez. Relative to the flash appeal, Hernandez related that the UN is now undertaking needs assessment activities in the typhoon-hit areas. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the number of families affected by Yolanda has reached 2,055,630 or 9,497,847 persons. (HDT/Sunnex)
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 04:23:27 +0000