ASEAN to drum up support for Yolanda-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines - The  Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are set to hold a conference in Manila to drum up support for the recovery of Yolanda-affected communities.

A statement from ASEAN said the the High-Level Conference on Assistance for the Recovery of Yolanda-Affected Areas (ARYA) in Manila will be held on August 14.

"The conference is organized to gather new support that would assist the Government of the Philippines in implementing its national and local recovery and rehabilitation plans. Different stakeholders are invited to discuss the current situation of the affected communities, the assistance initiatives being implemented and different forms of assistance needed for the recovery and building of more resilient communities," ASEAN said.

The ASEAN Secretariat has also held a pre-conference meeting in Jakarta today, gathering around 100 ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, ASEAN partners, and the private sector to discuss and share views on continuing support for the recovery of communities devastated by Yolanda (Haiyan).

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Min Lwin, chair of the Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, emphasized that the presence of the Ambassadors Dialogue Partners, and the private sector sends a message that "we are united in our goal of continuing our support to the communities affected by Typhoon Haiayan in the Philippines."

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said the region's "experience clearly shows that ASEAN solidarity is evident, with ASEAN responding as one" and affirms "ASEAN's commitment to support the recovery efforts in the Philippines as an integral part of building and sharing ASEAN Community."

"Looking back, I believe that with an unprecedented disaster such as Haiyan, any government no matter how prepared would have been overwhelmed by the effects of the super typhoon,” said Elizabeth Buensuceso, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN. “Rich or poor, no one was spared from the debilitating effects of the typhoon. But we can just imagine how the poor were affected,” she added.

Based on reports, a total of 1,084,762 houses were damaged, of which 595,149 were partially damaged while 489,613 houses were completely destroyed. About 4 million people or 900,000 families were displaced due to the destruction. More than 16 million people or about 3.5 million families had been affected by the typhoon.

Total fatalities numbered 6,300 people while the injured numbered 28,689. To date, there are still more than a thousand missing persons

Buensuceso said that the contributions of the stakeholders “will not only be helping the Philippines, but ASEAN as well, as we become better prepared for similar disasters in the future and better equipped to respond to a neighbor’s needs.”