USAID provides more than $30 Million in Humanitarian Assistance
For fiscal year 2010, the U.S. Government (USG) provided nearly $26 million in humanitarian funding in response to Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy) and Typhoons Parma (Pepeng) and Mirinae (Santi). USAID’s Office of U. S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided nearly $6 million to support health; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); economic recovery; humanitarian coordination and information management programs; as well as logistics support and the provision of emergency relief supplies. USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) allocated emergency food assistance composed of rice and vegetable oil valued at $10 million to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) for distribution to storm-affected families in the country. In the early stages of the disaster response, the U.S. Department of Defense Pacific Command provided equipment, transport, and logistics support, including ten helicopters and six Zodiac boats for search-and-rescue efforts. They also assisted in transporting food and emergency relief supplies by road and helicopter.
In 2010, USAID/FFP provided $3.9 million worth of U.S. rice to support efforts which aims to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returned in conflict affected areas in Central Mindanao (WFP 10489.1). The food aid supports the following WFPs’ programs: Food for Education; Food for Work; Food for Training; and Mother and Child Health and Nutrition.
In December 2009, USAID/OFDA provided a grant to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) in the amount of $50,000 to support disaster relief operations to assist people affected by the prolonged displacement caused by the Mayon Volcano eruption. PNRC received a second $100,000 grant to provide non-food items to 1,640 vulnerable families throughout Isabela province affected by Typhoon Megi. In the same period, USAID/OFDA awarded a $1.1 million grant to World Vision to provide shelter and agriculture assistance in selected communities in 5 municipalities of Isabela province.
In January 2011, USAID/OFDA provided a grant to Plan Philippines amounting to $100,000 to respond to the requests for assistance by the Governors of Northern and Eastern Samar provinces. Through this assistance, hygiene kits were distributed to vulnerable families living in the outer islands and low-lying or flood-prone areas.
In response to the flooding that occurred in Cotabato City and Maguindanao in July 2011, USAID/OFDA partnered with Action Against Hunger (ACF) with a grant of $100,000. This enabled ACF to distribute hygiene kits and repair water sources to more than 12,500 persons.