Australia Comes To Philippines’ Aid

The Australian government has made available up to A$2 million (around P88 million) in food and emergency supplies to be delivered through the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the World Food Program (WFP) to assist Filipinos who have been affected by the severe flooding that recently devastated Metro Manila and surrounding areas.

According to Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr, the Australian Government has provided A$1 million (roughly P44 million) for emergency kits for distribution to families which include medical supplies, mosquito nets and water containers, and another A$1 million (around P44 million) for 1,000 tons of rice.

Senator Carr expressed his particular concern for those families who had been without a home for up to two weeks.

“We’re providing $1 million to WFP and we’re backing that up with nearly $1 million made available to the Red Cross for those in need,” he said in a statement.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell explained that the Australian Government has made these items available through the PRC and WFP so that they can be immediately accessed in serious humanitarian situations, such as the recent flooding in and around the capital.

“We know that prompt response is essential to saving lives during disasters," the top Australian diplomat in the country said. "Australia, through our arrangements with the Philippine Red Cross and WFP, is able to assist the Philippine Government to respond quickly and effectively.”

He said officials of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) visited flood-affected areas last week and they have been working closely with the Philippine government and other donors to ensure the Philippines has the support it needs to manage the crisis.

At the same time, Tweddell commended the Philippine government for its quick response, including widespread search and rescue operations for those stranded by floods and buried by landslides.

Over the past seven years, Australia has provided more than P760 million in humanitarian and emergency aid to the Philippines.

Also, Australia works closely with the Philippines and other partners to manage disasters and to help people adapt to climate change.

Tweddell said Australia’s program has a focus on Metro Manila and supports hazard and risk analysis, risk-sensitive land use planning, community-based disaster preparedness, capacity building on urban search and rescue, and providing safer settlements for those living in danger areas.

"Australia and the Phi l ippines have a strong relationship, underpinned by over 50 years of partnership in development cooperation," he said.

He pointed out that the aid partnership with the Philippines is one of Australia’s largest, with more than P20 billion in official development assistance in the past five years.

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