Photo caption: November 13, 2013. International humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger is distributing 128 tonnes of emergency supplies to families affected by Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban (Philippines)
Photo credit: Action Against Hunger / Daniel Burgui
|November 15, 2013 4:00pm|
Action Against Hunger / Action contre la Faim (ACF) efforts continue on the ground of the Philippines. Though the situation is dire, progress is being made. Surpassing the final logistical obstacles, our teams in Tacloban and Capiz have started the distribution of the 128 tonnes of emergency supplies sent from the ACF warehouses.
Among the items being distributed by ACF teams are 30,000 hygiene kits. ACF teams are also preparing to distribute ready-to-eat food as well as chlorine tablets for water purification. In addition, ACF teams will be installing portable water treatment pumps over the weekend.
Positive news today was relayed from ACF technical staff: not all of the water networks were destroyed in affected areas.
“This is very important news as we will be able to restore these water networks more quickly than originally feared. With the support from the distribution of emergency kits and chlorine tablets for water purification, we can secure access to safe water more rapidly to the affected populations,” explains Pablo Alcalde, Water and Sanitation Manager for ACF.
Meanwhile, ACF teams welcome the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) sent by the Royal Canadian Air Force to the city of Iloilo in the Philippines.
In Canada, emergency fundraising continues with support of the Canadian government, which is matching individual donations until December 9.
“Canadians are giving generously but more is urgently needed,” says Susanne Courtney, Executive Director, ACF Canada. “The United Nations has said that 220 million euros – over 310 million Canadian dollars – need to be raised globally. Yet so far only 20 per cent of these funds have been obtained. Action Against Hunger is asking the international community to speed up the response to this emergency.”
For more information, contact:
Camille DePutter, Director of Communications
Action Contre la Faim | Action Against Hunger Canada
Office: 416.644.1016 x 6
cdeputter@actionagainsthunger.ca
Local ACF contacts in the Philippines available upon request.