MANILA, Feb 9 (NNN-PNA) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB), said today, it has approved a 2-million-U.S.-dollar grant, to support the Philippines’ emergency response, to the devastation in central and southern provinces, caused by Typhoon Rai.
Typhoon Rai, the 15th and the strongest of last year, that made landfall in the country in Dec, killed more than 400 people.
The Manila-based bank said, the grant under the ADB’s Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, will provide humanitarian assistance to about 15,000 households, or about 75,000 people, in Visayas and Mindanao, severely affected by the Dec 16 typhoon.
The ADB added, the grant will fund food vouchers, to be distributed to target communities, which beneficiaries can exchange for food in selected markets. The grant also includes logistics support for the food assistance delivery.
“Typhoon Rai’s damage on housing, agriculture, and infrastructure, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has made life more difficult for Filipinos in affected areas,” ADB Director General for Southeast Asia, Ramesh Subramaniam said, adding, the grant will help finance the humanitarian needs, especially people living in remote areas.
The ADB said, it is partnering with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), to deliver food assistance. It builds on the WFP’s ongoing work with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to provide emergency relief to typhoon-hit areas.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, estimated the typhoon caused 24.6 billion pesos (nearly 500 million U.S. dollars) in damage to crops, public infrastructure and property. Several areas remain blocked by collapsed roads and bridges and without electricity.
The category 5 typhoon, destroyed more than 1.7 million houses in eight provinces. The United Nations estimated over 9.9 million people across the six worst-hit regions were affected by the typhoon, with nearly 144,000 people still being homeless as of Jan 28.
In Dec, Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, declared a state of calamity for a year, in the six regions, to accelerate rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.
