EUROPEAN COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 13 August 2012
European Commission mobilises emergency aid to help
flood victims in the Philippines
Following massive flooding in the Philippines, national authorities have begun a large-scale
emergency response. The European Commission will complement on-going efforts with
€700,000 of humanitarian aid which will be distributed through its partner organisations.
The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis
Response, Kristalina Georgieva, said: "In the last two weeks the Philippines have been
battered by torrential monsoon rains and two typhoons, Saola and Haikui. Right now, in
the emergency response phase, our primary objective is to make sure aid moves quickly
to those in greatest need. It is also hoped that our past investments in disaster
preparedness projects will have contributed to limiting the death toll".
The floods have affected more than 3.5 million people and forced over one million to
evacuate their homes. Significant damage has been caused to infrastructure and
agriculture. The capital Manila was not spared. 615,000 people have sought refuge with
relatives and friends and more than 410,000 people are currently sheltered in 930
evacuation centres.
The Commission's humanitarian funding will assist 127,000, poor and vulnerable people,
including those in remote communities which have been cut off. The money will be used
primarily to provide food, water, shelter, medical aid and sanitation, as well as to help
clean-up debris.
The funding is based on a preliminary assessment carried out last week by experts from
the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) who
visited the affected areas to see where the Commission's funding could make the greatest
difference. These experts will continue to assess the rapidly changing situation. The
Commission's funding may be increased in the coming weeks if the torrential rains
continue or if flood waters recede so slowly that they prevent the affected population from
returning to their homes.
Background
The Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with 268
recorded natural disaster events over the last three decades. In 2011 the country was
badly affected by three major typhoons and floods, for which the European Commission
provided €7.6 million of humanitarian assistance. In early 2012, an additional €3.55
million of humanitarian aid was provided to support the recovery efforts in areas affected
by the worst of the cyclones.
The Commission has also been supporting community-based disaster preparedness
projects in the Philippines, allocating more than €5.6 million over the past 6 years. For the
period 2012-2013, the Commission has allocated a further €2.4 million for disaster
preparedness in the Philippines, through country and regional actions.
IP/12/899
The Commission is a long-term provider of humanitarian assistance in South-East Asia,
where it brings relief to the victims of displacement, conflict and natural disasters and
where it advocates for and supports measures for disaster preparedness and risk
reduction. In 2010 and 2011, the Commission has provided humanitarian assistance worth
more than €65 million in the region.
For more information
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
Contacts :
Irina Novakova (+32 2 295 75 17)
David Sharrock (+32 2 296 89 09)
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