First 250 Families Received Food Aid on Friday

“Water and food are the most pressing needs, especially for people trapped in the damaged areas from which it is difficult—if not impossible—to escape,” says Marek Štys, People in Need Relief Programmes Manager, and he adds: “While the reported number of casualties is not so high, the number of wounded people and the extent of damage is a tantamount to the Haiti disaster.” According to his preliminary estimation, a comprehensive rehabilitation of the ravaged areas will take several years, and moreover a long-term operation of humanitarian organizations will be required in the poorer regions.

The team has reached Cebu Island recently and is currently conducting needs assessment in the affected areas and also preparing the first distributions of material assistance and food supplies.

Earlier today, the team procured 250 kits of essential food items in the capital of the island that will be transported to the northernmost part of the island tomorrow. The first distribution is a part of a field assessment trip to Bantayan Island, where people languish in ruins left behind by the typhoon. The food kits consist of one and a half kilo of rice, noodle packages and drinking water. Each of them should feed a family for at least two or three days.

“At six o‘clock in the morning, volunteers, which are being organized in the Cebu capital university campus, will set out in sixteen school buses,” says Petr Štefan of People in Need, who is in charge of food relief. “The trip should take four to five hours, although we are not sure yet how clear the roads will be, or whether we may face some obstacles,” Petr Štefan clarifies. The team has scheduled additional distributions for the weekend and next week. The coordinators appreciate that most material can be purchased directly on the island as that facilitates the distribution significantly.

The Filipinos themselves provide a major part of the relief in the affected areas, raising money, purchasing supplies and distributing them to the victims. “There is an army of volunteers here, as well as a number of initiatives being organized through Facebook,” explains Petr Štefan as he points out that any external help is being received with great enthusiasm. “If you come to the airport, a bank or a phone company and tell them you’re a humanitarian worker, everyone will express their thanks and welcome,” Petr Štefan describes the air of solidarity felt on the islands.

Current state of the SOS Philippines charity account

By this afternoon, on the SOS Philippine charity account 7.7 million Czech crowns have been collected. The Vodafone Foundation has pledged a one-off contribution of 500,000 CZK, and in addition to double the revenues from donors messages of the Vodafone customers. Further aid worth half a million crowns has been pledged by the Avast Foundation, while The City of Prague will make a contribution of 1 million CZK. When creating the charity account, People in Need instantly released a total of 500,000 CZK from the People in Need Club of Friends Relief Fund.

For further information, please contact:

Marek Štys (CR), PIN Relief Programmes Manager, +420 777 053 522, Marek.Stys@clovekvtisni.cz 

Petr Štefan (Philippines), PIN Media Coordinator, +639082365239, petr.stefan@clovekvtisni.cz