Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Australian Embassy Media Release

Photo from Australian Embassy.
For immediate release
4 February 2013

Australia responds to appeal for more aid for ‘Pablo’ victims

The Australian Government today announced that Australia will provide an additional Php126 million (A$3 million) in response to the revised flash appeal launched by the Philippine Government and the United Nations for the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Typhoon Pablo.
This additional assistance brings Australia’s total contribution of support for people affected by Typhoon Pablo to Php432 million (A$10.3 million).
Six weeks after Pablo’s widespread destruction in Mindanao, shelter and livelihoods remain critical needs with over 840,000 people still displaced, including 700,000 people whose livelihoods were destroyed by the typhoon.
"The scale of destruction caused by Typhoon Pablo is staggering, and I witnessed this when I recently visited Compostela Valley. My heart went out to the families who continue to suffer," Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell said.
"We commend the Philippine Government for its effective and well-coordinated efforts to address this crisis. Australia stands ready to help Filipino families affected by this disaster get back on their feet – and I know they can. Visiting Compostela Valley and seeing the generous and sincere smiles of the people only made me admire and appreciate the Filipinos' resilience amidst adversity."
The additional funding will provide emergency shelters including improvements of existing shelter facilities in the worst-hit areas.
Emergency cash-for-work programs will be funded for debris clearing and will provide critically needed income to affected workers across the affected areas.
Following ‘Pablo’, Australia immediately responded by providing Php307 million (A$7.3 million) for food, safe drinking water, health and hygiene kits, cash-for-work program, temporary shelters to thousands of families including people with disabilities, and psycho-social support to help protect and counsel traumatised children.
To prepare for further humanitarian responses in the Philippines, Australia will also provide a further Php84 million (A$2 million) to replenish pre-positioned stocks used in the Philippine Government’s initial response to Typhoon Pablo.
Australia places a very high priority on responding to natural disasters in its aid program to the Philippines.
"The Australian Government understands that humanitarian assistance is not enough. Australia’s aid program also targets Php462 million of its annual aid program budget of Php5.5 billion on reducing disaster risk and enhancing disaster preparedness across the country," Ambassador Tweddell said.