USAID to provide $ 100,000 for 'Pablo' relief efforts

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 6): USAID to provide $ 100,000 for 'Pablo' relief efforts

As part of its efforts to aid the Philippine government in recovering from the death and destruction caused by typhoon "Pablo," the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has announced that it will be providing US$ 100,000 to the Catholic Relief Services to support disaster relief efforts in affected areas. U.S. Embassy Manila Chargé d’Affaires Brian L. Goldbeck, after consulting with the government of the Philippines on Dec. 5, offered to provide immediate relief assistance following reports of widespread destruction due to the storm in various areas of the Philippines.

 Teams from USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and USAID/Philippines will conduct humanitarian assessments in typhoon-affected areas, including Davao and Cagayan De Oro cities in Mindanao, Negros Oriental province in the Visayas, and Palawan in Southern Luzon in the coming days to determine where this assistance is most needed. “On behalf of the United States government, we extend our deepest condolences for the devastation and loss of life caused by typhoon 'Pablo' in the southern Philippines. We applaud the efforts of local communities, local authorities and the NDRRMC to evacuate citizens, prepare for the storm, and minimize loss of life before and during the storm. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected,” Goldbeck stressed.

The United States has been a key partner of the Philippines in providing immediate humanitarian response during natural calamities. The American government is helping the Philippines cope with the effects of calamities by improving mechanisms to effectively adapt and respond to natural disasters. With this initial US$ 100,000, USAID will have provided approximately US$ 11.7 million in disaster response assistance over the past five years. This includes responses to tropical storm Ketsana (Ondoy) in 2009, typhoon Megi (Juan) in 2010, and tropical storm Washi (Sendong) in 2011. Beyond donations for immediate disaster relief, the U.S. government also supports efforts by local governments and communities to prevent and reduce the impact of typhoons and other natural disasters. In 2012, USAID/OFDA provided over US$ 4.1 million for disaster risk reduction activities in the Philippines.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=477740