Following the two powerful earthquakes registered off the coast of Davao Oriental earlier this month, the European Union (EU) has released EUR450,000 (PHP31 million) in humanitarian aid.
This funding will bring emergency assistance to the most affected population, such as people staying in temporary shelters.
Of the total allocation, EUR300,000 (PHP20 million) will be granted to the ACCESS consortium led by the non-governmental organization CARE. The funding will prioritize interventions to provide shelter and access to water and sanitation, among other relief actions.
This funding released today will complement the initial relief efforts implemented by the ACCESS consortium as part of the ongoing EU-funded Rapid Response mechanism, that was immediately activated after the earthquakes.
The remaining EUR150,000 (PHP10 million) will support the Philippine Red Cross in delivering tents and household items such as sleeping kits and kitchen sets, as well as cash assistance, hot meals and clean water. Other funded activities include healthcare and safe spaces for children.
The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
This new funding comes in addition to the EUR8.05 million (PHP555 million) already allocated this year in humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness to the Philippines. This included EUR1.3 million (PHP 89 million) allocated in response to tropical cyclones that affected the country in July and late September, and the EUR750,000 (PHP51 million) in response to the previous earthquake in Cebu.
The EU funding is being made available via the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) department of the European Commission.
