EU pledges €1.05 aid for typhoon victims
The European Union (EU) has pledged € 1.05 million (about P60 million) in humanitarian aid funding to deliver emergency relief assistance to families affected by Typhoon Ulysses (international code name Vamco).
Ulysses is the latest in a series of destructive typhoons to hit large parts of the Philippines’ most populous island of Luzon, including the national capital, Metro Manila, in recent weeks.
“The EU is scaling up its humanitarian assistance in the Philippines in response to the devastating typhoons that have hit the country over the past month,” said Arlynn Aquino, who oversees the EU’S humanitarian response in the Philippines.
“The additional contribution will help to get much- needed aid to the most vulnerable people to help them go through this difficult time.”
Ulysses hit the country while still struggling to cope with the devastating impact of powerful typhoon Rolly (international code name Goni), which struck in early November. It has so far affected more than 3 million people, with more than 440,000 already forced to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere, including in evacuation centers.
The EU funding will support humanitarian aid partners who are already on the ground to respond to the immediate needs of those most in need. This includes shelter, food, health care and access to clean water, safe sanitation and good hygiene, as well as other vital aid.
The funding is part of the EU’S Acute Large Emergency Response Tool ( ALERT).
Ulysses is also the fifth storm to hit the archipelago over the past three weeks. It made landfall in several towns across Quezon province in Luzon on the evening of November 11, 2020. With maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour, the weather disturbance caused heavy downpours and severe flooding across the region, damaging more than 65,000 houses.
In Metro Manila, floodwaters of up to 4.5 feet left many parts of the capital submerged, impacting in excess of 50,000 people. Widespread power shortages and infrastructural damage have also been reported. Central Luzon is the worst- hit region where more than 1.7 million have been people were affected.
As assessments are still under way, the true scale of the damage is currently unclear.
Alert is used to respond to large natural disasters where over 100,000 people, or over 50 percent of the population are affected. Depending on the type of disaster, the aim is to allocate funds within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of an emergency.