Ireland to airlift supplies to flood-hit Philippines
Ireland is to airlift emergency shelter supplies to the flood-hit Philippines.
Junior Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello, authorised the move today.
A typhoon that hit the country more than a week ago is estimated to have killed a thousand people, while almost 350,000 people have been left homeless after landslides and severe flooding on the island of Mindanao.
This latest move comes after the Government announced on Tuesday that it is to donate €100,000 to the relief effort, through the Plan Ireland humanitarian agency.
"The full scale of the devastation wrought by the typhoon which hit the Philippines on December 15 and 16 is now clear," said Deputy Costello.
"It is estimated that 1,000 people have died while almost 350,000 people have been left homeless as a result of landslides and severe flooding on the island of Mindanao.
"Given the extremely difficult conditions in which thousands of families are now living, I have instructed officials to prepare to airlift emergency shelter supplies to Mindanao from our pre-positioned stocks in Malaysia.
"More than 280,000 people have sought shelter in evacuation centres in the disaster area. Ireland will provide tents and thousands of blankets to assist these families, who have lost their homes and belongings to the severe floods.
"I would like to express Ireland’s solidarity with the people of the Philippines, and indeed with the thousands of Filipino people who live in Ireland."
