UN flash appeal raises $20 million

MANILA, Philippines - United Nations Undersecretary General John Holmes said a “flash appeal” for Philippine calamity victims has raised $20 million in pledges.

“I admire the efforts of the Philippine government. We are trying to support the relief efforts of the government as much as we can,” Holmes, who met with President Arroyo yesterday, said.

Mrs. Arroyo met with Holmes to discuss relief and rehabilitation efforts in the country following the destruction left by tropical storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”

The meeting, held in the afternoon at Malacañang, was attended by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Climate Change Adviser Secretary Heherson Alvarez and UN Resident Coordinator Jacqueline Badcock.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the UN humanitarian chief reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the Philippines.

In a press briefing earlier, deputy presidential spokesperson Anthony Golez thanked the UN for the appeal, which aims to generate $74 million for flood victims in Metro Manila and surrounding areas.

It is the largest ever UN humanitarian assistance to the Philippines and is intended to address the needs of the more than one million victims in the next six months, a Palace statement said.

In New York, Holmes gave a briefing on the series of disasters in the Asia-Pacific region, giving prominence to the Philippines for having been the first to request a flash appeal launch.

Holmes said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has allocated $7 million for the Philippines from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

Delegates of UN member countries who attended the launch in Geneva and New York reiterated their sympathies and condolences for the victims and mentioned the assistance their countries have extended to the Philippines.

At the Manila launch, Badcock praised the quick and efficient response of the Philippines to the disaster.

“Humanitarian assistance was also quick to arrive, from government departments and agencies, NGOs and private individuals,” Badcock said. “All this has been underpinned with a remarkable sense of volunteerism and solidarity,” she said.

“Yet despite the determination of the people of the Philippines to help themselves, the unanticipated scale of the floods understandably overwhelmed local capabilities,” she said.

According to the UN, of the $74 million being requested, the UN World Food Program (WFP) is requesting $26 million to fund its three-month emergency operation, already underway, to support the government’s efforts by providing rice, beans and other food in the worst-hit areas of Manila and surrounding areas.

The agency is also giving logistical support, including helicopters and inflatable boats, to allow humanitarian agencies access to remote areas, the Palace said.