The European Commission allocates € 75,000 or Php 4.3 million to bring relief to earthquake victims in Western Visayas.
EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines said that the aid will be used for distributing foods, non-food items and safe drinking water as well as for health and hygiene promotion.
The EU support will be channelled through the Red Cross who operates with funding from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Ambassador Ledoux underscored the importance of disaster preparedness in the wake of the prevailing disasters including earthquakes hitting the Philippines.
A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck western Visayas and parts of northern Mindanao in the Philippines on 6 February 2012.
The quake caused 43 deaths and injured 112 people, damaging at least 14,432 houses. In total, 52,126 families (261,100 persons) were affected.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has been on the ground responding to urgent needs since the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Persisting basic humanitarian needs require the emergency response to continue until mid May.
The European Commission has decided to support the PRC in the provision of assistance to 4,500 most affected families, with an amount of € 75,000. This aid will be used for distributing food rations, non food items and safe drinking water, as well as for health and hygiene promotion.
Background
The European Commission has signed a €3 million humanitarian contribution agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.
The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The contribution agreement between the IFRC and the European Commission enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.