Hillary condoles with victims of Asean floods

MANILA, Philippines - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed condolences to the Philippines and other ASEAN countries for the death of their nationals from heavy rains and severe flooding brought by the typhoons that hit the region.

“On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I want to send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost friends, family and loved ones from the heavy rains and flooding across Southeast Asia, including in areas of Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam,” Clinton said.

Clinton said the US embassies in the affected countries are working with local authorities and international organizations to assess how the US government can help lessen the impact of the flooding.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those across the region affected by this tragedy,” she said.

The Philippines, through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said the combined death toll from typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” reached 95 people with over P14 billion in damage to property and agriculture.

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) earlier voiced its concern over the millions of people affected by the floods ravaging many countries in Asia, including the Philippines.

The UNISDR urged governments to increase their investment in disaster risk reduction.

The Philippines, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand all suffered the effects of floods with many casualties.

“People shouldn’t die because of floods. We have the technology to alert communities before floods arrive. People can be evacuated in time, lives saved and livelihoods protected. Once again, early warning systems are the smart choice and the most efficient of all disaster prevention measures,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström.

She also expressed concern over the long-term economic impact of the floods on the affected countries, many of which have seen their infrastructure damaged and their services interrupted by the heavy rains.

Wahlström said this would be one of the main issues she will focus on during her upcoming visit to the region.

The UNISDR reported floods account for a significant amount of damage to public assets such as health and education facilities, as well as to the livelihoods, homes and assets of poor people.

The UNISDR, however, said governments do not record the losses, thus making it difficult to invest in disaster reduction measures.

“The invisible nature of this large volume of disaster loss is one reason why so many countries are finding it difficult to make both political and economic decisions to prioritize investment in disaster risk management,” Wahlström said.