HIGHLIGHTS

• Heavy rainfall in September and October caused flash floods in 8 provinces, resulting in 27 deaths and 4,057 displaced households.

• From October to December 2012, the average rainfall level was lower than the historical average and the same period in 2011.

• Wet season rice production in 2012 was 6.85% higher than in 2011; Cultivated area of dry season rice in this quarter was above 100% of the planned figure; On a year-on-year basis, production of maize during the wet season increased by 19%, cassava decreased by 10% and mung bean decreased by 13%.

Typhoon Bopha hits Philippines banana harvest hard

About one quarter of the banana crop in the Philippines, a major food export for that country, has been destroyed by Typhoon Bopha, according to early damage assessments. Furthermore, banana growers fear the storm may have served to spread “Panama Disease,” which has been described by some researchers as “one of the most destructive plant diseases in modern times.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Food purchasing power of households increased in rural and urban areas by 7.5% and 8.6% month-on-month, respectively.

• Retail price of lowest quality rice decreased in rural and urban areas by 6.0% and 1.0% month-on-month, respectively.

• Wholesale price of mixed rice decreased by 4.6% month-on-month and by 5.7% year-on-year.

Link: Disaster Risk Reduction – East Asia and The Pacific Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2012

Caritas Australia, an international aid and development agency that helps some of the world’s poorest people, has said the Australian Government‘s plans to divert much needed overseas aid money to fund rising refugee support costs domestically will do irreparable damage to Australia’s international reputation.

The proposed aid cuts show that out of all the 23 OECD countries that give overseas aid, Australia will now be the biggest spender on aid within its own borders.

La campagne de collecte de fonds «Chaque centime compte» («Jeder Rappen zählt») a lieu pour la quatrième fois, dans la semaine qui précède Noël. La Radio Télévision Suisse appelle le grand public à verser des dons en faveur de programmes d’accès à l’eau dans le monde. La Croix-Rouge suisse (CRS) participe elle aussi à cette opération.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help vulnerable communities in Cambodia raise their ability to respond to and cope with natural disasters by providing a $35 million loan to manage risks stemming from extreme floods and droughts.

Vienna, Austria, December 12, 2012. The Governing Board of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), meeting in its 141st Session, has approved 22 loans and grants totaling nearly US$300 million to boost socio-economic development in 23 partner countries. The bulk of the public sector loans will co-finance projects aimed at enhancing the transportation and energy sectors of the recipient countries, as well as the agriculture, education and health sectors.