The European Union provides €1.7 million or approximately Php96 million in humanitarian aid to those in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).
The funds will be used to meet immediate needs such as food, water, shelter, and other household items. Humanitarian partners will also improve healthcare services in order to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
The Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said in a statement, “in an immediate response to typhoon Rai which caused wide-spread destruction and deplorable loss of lives in the Philippines, the EU stands by the Filipino people in these difficult times and has started to provide emergency relief actions to those affected in close cooperation with our humanitarian partners.”
Humanitarian partners will work together to improve healthcare services, including hygiene promotion activities, in order to reduce the spread of waterborne diseases.
The EU also confirmed that cash grants will be made available to those most affected in order for them to survive during their displacement.
The EUR1.7 million fund is drawn from the EU’s Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT) and can be replenished in the future as the humanitarian emergency and population needs in the Philippines are closely monitored.
ALERT is activated in the event of a disaster that affects more than 100,000 people, or more than half of the population.
The EU stated that depending on the type of disaster, the goal is to allocate funds within 24 to 48 hours of the emergency’s onset.