Delivering on a pledge by United States President Barack Obama, the U.S. government has provided US$ 100,000 (about P4.3 million) to support the Philippine government’s rehabilitation efforts for victims of tropical storm “Sendong” in Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao.
U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. announced the aid after President Benigno S. Aquino III officially declared a state of national calamity in the Philippines while visiting devastated barangays of Northern Mindanao earlier in the week.
Thomas announced his government’s assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which will partner with U.S.-based non-governmental organization Catholic Relief Services.
USAID and OFDA teams visited the flood-stricken areas in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. Their assessments will determine whether additional U.S. funding might be needed, according to the U.S. embassy.
Thomas said: “On behalf of the U.S. government and the American people, I extend my heartfelt condolences and sympathies to those who have suffered the tragic loss of loved ones, homes, and livelihoods due to floods caused by Tropical Storm Sendong.”
“From our discussions with the Philippine authorities, it appears that among the immediate needs of flood-affected communities are non-food emergency supplies, including water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and containers for potable water, so the United States’ initial contribution in this instance will be used to provide these types of items to the most-affected individuals in Mindanao,” Ambassador Thomas said
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