OCHA Operations Director says huge emergency operation being mobilized to help the Philippines
(New York, 11 November 2013) OCHA Operations Director, John Ging, told media today that almost 9.8 million people have been affected by the tragedy that has befallen the Philippines and that a massive aid operation is needed to help the Government in its efforts to respond to this unprecedented crisis.
“We salute the Philippines authorities, who are responding in a very impressive way. We at the United Nations, with our NGO partners, are very much in support and we are focusing first and foremost on the requirements for food, shelter, and medical support. An estimated 660,000 people have been displaced by this typhoon and all of our efforts are now on mobilizing the response very quickly and to a huge scale.”
Overcoming the logistical constraints is a major priority, as there has been so much damage to infrastructure, roads and airports. “The scale of devastation impacts on our capacity to get aid to people where they most need it. Drinking water is a very big priority. We need to get purification tablets in there so that people can get safe drinking water. The sanitation situation is also of huge concern.”
“Humanitarian agencies are already mobilizing a massive response, moving all available pre-stocks and supplies and deploying a lot of staff into the ground, into the affected locations. I am very proud that we managed to get an UNDAC team into Tacloban the day after Haiyan struck, where the members are working with the Government to coordinate international aid efforts.”
Mr. Ging told reporters that the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, is on her way to the Philippines where tomorrow she will launch a funding appeal in Manila, with the Government. Valerie Amos has released US$25 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) so that humanitarian agencies can kickstart their priority emergency activities as quickly as possible.