US government’s disaster aid to PHL reaches USD251-M in 10 years

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): US government’s disaster aid to PHL reaches USD251-M in 10 years 

The United States aid on disaster emergency response to the Philippines has already reached USD251 million in the last 10 years, mostly for risk reduction activities.

The biggest aid so far totaled to USD143 million for Typhoon Yolanda operations, said Joseph Curry, regional adviser of the USAID’s Office of the Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

USAID/OFDA is the office that leads and coordinates the US government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas.

Speaking before participants at the 7th U.S Embassy Seminar for Regional Media on Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in Monday, Curry said the Philippines is among more than 60 countries where they offer emergency assistance. Of these countries, 45 have been provided emergency assistance benefiting 53 million people.

According to Curry, since 1991, the country has been visited by 50 disasters, not including disasters with less impact on the country in terms of damage and on the people’s activities.

Curry said the US government supplements and supports the Philippines government but stressed that they do not replace the response, preparedness and mitigation efforts of the affected country.

While the assistance is channeled through government or international non-government humanitarian agencies, Curry said they ensure that their assistance is appropriate and based on humanitarian needs.

USAID/OFDA assistance is not limited to food but also includes other critical commodities like emergency shelter materials, warm blankets, water treatment systems, and hygiene kits. USAID/OFDA gets funds from the one percent of America’s federal budget allocation for foreign assistance.

Curry said emergency assistance is expected to continue considering that the Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster prone countries, particularly vulnerable to tropical cyclones and floods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions.

Curry said they also conduct field assessments to look at how disaster is affecting people, identify target vulnerable population and design disaster response intervention. They also have a shelter program.

According to research by the US Embassy in the Philippines, the country hosts about 300 volcanoes, of which 23 are considered active. On average, the country experiences 20 tropical typhoons a year, which is the highest frequency in the world. The Philippines is situated between two major active fault lines and experiences a high level of seismic activity.

Meanwhile, the two-day seminar organized by the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines in partnership with the government, focused on the role of media in disaster preparedness is part of its information blitz.

Emma Nagy, Deputy Press Attaché of the American Embassy in Manila, said the seminar is aimed at helping media provide information in times of disasters and ensure that media make people aware on emergency-related information.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922439