Wednesday November 20, 2013

“We’ve reached half a million in the Philippines,” DEC agencies confirm

Less than two weeks after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, the Disasters Emergency Committee announced that its member agencies have collectively reached half a million people with vital aid.

Over 13 million people were affected when the island country was hit by the worst storm ever recorded, with more than 600,000 losing their homes, and millions left in desperate need of food and water.

The British public’s response has been extremely generous, with a staggering £50 million raised by the DEC to date. DEC member agencies and their partners are on the ground, distributing life-saving supplies to hundreds of thousands of people who have lost everything.

Working with our local partner, RAFI, Islamic Relief has so far helped to distribute food and water to over 32,000 households – around 160,000 people. We’ve also transported family-sized tents to our base in Cebu, where they will be distributed as temporary shelter to those made homeless by the typhoon.

“It’s amazing that so many people have been reached in such a short space of time,” says IRUK’s Zaid al-Rawni, who was part of Islamic Relief’s initial response team in the Philippines, and returned on Monday. “I’ve seen for myself how great the needs are, and how much it means to people when they receive assistance. There are still so many people yet to be reached though.”

© Copyrights 2024 Islamic Relief SA. All rights reserved Charity Registration Number - 043-357-NPO

QUICK DONATE