US extends financial assistance to victims of typhoon "Pablo"

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 11): US extends financial assistance to victims of typhoon "Pablo"

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Lualhati Antonino thanked the United States for extending assistance to the typhoon victims in Davao Oriental and in Compostela Valley. She said the US has always provided aid and support to the Philippines but their “help has become more meaningful given at this time of disaster.” US Charge’ d’Affaires Brian L. Goldbeck led the team of officials who went to Davao City Monday to announce the additional USD3million aid from the US Agency for International Development Office-US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/UFDA). He said the US has previously conducted humanitarian assessments to determine where the US can best assist the typhoon-affected areas in Mindanao and Visayas.

The US has previously given USD100,000 to the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and emergency relief commodities, the ambassador said. "However, we realized that the effects of the typhoon were “much more devastating” than they initially thought of that is why the additional support was sent," he said.

Up to five C130 planes landed in Davao City Monday to haul off the relief goods from the US. Three water purification systems were also sent to Davao on Dec. 7 to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in their relief operations efforts. Goldbeck said a team of planning experts, from the Balikatang Planning Conference, who can best make an assessment of the ground situation in disaster areas were also sent to support the relief efforts. “They were immediately asked to set aside the process and shift their focus on the affected regions so they can help expedite the process of providing aid to the people,” he said.

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