MANILA – The European Union (EU) has announced a 500,000-euro (at least PHP30.2 million) humanitarian aid for the victims of the recent flooding and landslide in several parts of Mindanao.
The funding will address the immediate needs of 12,000 people in some of the worst-hit, isolated areas in the southern region, the EU Delegation in Manila said Thursday.
“A series of unexpected heavy rainfall caused thousands of families in Mindanao to lose their homes, livelihoods, and belongings,” EU Ambassador Luc Véron said.
“The EU funding will support our humanitarian partners in delivering crucial assistance to the most vulnerable, ensuring they can cover their basic needs in this time of crisis.”
The assistance will help EU humanitarian partners on the ground to deliver vital aid to those most in need.
The aid will also focus on providing emergency food and livelihood support, as well as ensuring that affected families have access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and education.
The EU is the latest to pledge assistance to flood-hit Mindanao after the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Last week, the Canadian government earmarked at least PHP14.5 million to provide emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene services to the affected population.
Weeks of incessant downpours since January caused large-scale flooding and landslides in the eastern parts of Mindanao, leaving more than 1.5 million people affected and 22 dead.
Based on the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the severe floods also caused damage to about 4,822 in Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Caraga Region.
The EU funding will be sourced from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department of the European Commission, through its Small-Scale Response mechanism.
1.5M residents affected
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday the number of people affected by the bad weather in various parts of Mindanao has reached 1,567,339.
The figure is equivalent to 471,819 families in Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, according to the NDRRMC’s latest disaster report.
Of the total, 4,127 families, or 15,324 individuals are still in 64 evacuation centers, while 69,011 families, or 174,032 individuals are staying with family or friends.
The Office of Civil Defense has defined “affected families” as those displaced and those not needing transfer or removal from their residence.-PNA
