E UROPEAN C OMMISSION
RESS RELEASE
Brussels, 5 June 2014
The European Commission is giving an additional €30 million to the Philippine Government in a further boost to the European Union's reconstruction assistance in the wake of
Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan.
EU-funded humanitarian actions have already greatly contributed to meeting the emergency needs of the survivors of the world's most destructive typhoon ever recorded to have made landfall. But the road to reconstruction is still long.
"My visit to Tacloban has been a stark reminder of the devastation which hit the
Philippines last November," said Kristalina Georgieva, the Commissioner for International
Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. "Seven months on, many survivors are still struggling to recover. The need for assistance remains, but my visit has also been full of encouragement. Everywhere I turned, I saw people rebuilding their homes, replanting their fields, or reopening their businesses. While there will always be a 'before' and an 'after' Haiyan, the survivors are getting back on their feet. This €30 million is
confirmation that the EU will continue to support the recovery and reconstruction process."
The new funding comes from the European Commission's development budget. It is aimed at supporting post-Yolanda/Haiyan reconstruction through the availability of essential medicines, improved quality of health services, and support to the post-typhoon reconstruction plan of the Philippines's government. Particular attention is being given to the impact of the disaster on the poor and the most vulnerable members of the local population.
“In the current situation it is of great importance to combine short term relief operations
with long term plans," said the EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs. "Since the disaster we have been active in focusing our development cooperation on activities that help the affected communities to recover and reconstruct, but also to prepare for possible future typhoons. This will help to fight poverty immediately and at the same time
make people's lives and livelihoods safer in the long term."
Commissioner Georgieva is participating in the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) on Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management, where she is a keynote speaker. With the increasing frequency of mega-disasters, such as Yolanda/Haiyan, there is a need for reinforced international collaboration to face the effects of such catastrophes. The ASEM conference in Manila from 4 to 6 June 2014 will highlight lessons learned and best practices in the
"Tacloban Declaration", which will contribute to the post-2015 international framework on
Disaster Risk Reduction.
IP/14/638

Typhoon Haiyan (locally named Yolanda) was the strongest cyclone to make landfall ever recorded. It struck the Philippines on 8 November 2013, causing massive devastation in the central regions. Over 6 200 people have been officially reported dead, more than a thousand are missing, four million displaced and between fourteen and sixteen million affected, out of which six million are children.
The humanitarian assistance already provided by the European Commission to the survivors amounts to around €30 million. This contribution has made a difference for around 1.2 million people. In addition, €10 million have been channelled from the
Commission's development funds to assist with reconstruction and development projects.
In total, the EU's assistance to the people hit by the typhoon amounts to over €740 million
(including contributions from the European Commission, Member States and private donations).
Fact sheet on Typhoon Haiyan: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/philippines_haiyan_en.pdf
The European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm
Commissioner Georgieva's website: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/georgieva/index_en.htm
Website of EuropeAid Development and Cooperation DG: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm
Website of the European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/piebalgs/index_en.htm
Contacts :
David Sharrock (+32 2 296 89 09)
Irina Novakova (+32 2 295 75 17)
Alexandre Polack (+32 2 299 06 77)
Maria Sanchez Aponte (+32 2 298 10 35)
For the public: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 or by e-mail
2