EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner to revisit ‘Yolanda’-affected areas

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MANILA  — European Union (EU) Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva will revisit Tacloban City from June 4 to 5 to assess the progress of rehabilitation efforts in the typhoon “Yolanda”-stricken areas.

It will be the second time for Georgieva to visit Tacloban after it was hit by the super typhoon last November.

According to the EU Delegation to the Philippines, the EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner will meet local government officials in the Visayas, including Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla, and Tanauan Mayor Pelajo Tecson Jr., to receive first-hand information on the recovery and rehabilitation programs in the area.

“Georgieva will also visit an EU-funded Center in Barangay Sirab, Dagami, Leyte that provides child-friendly spaces to assist affected children in recovering from trauma following Yolanda. This project is being implemented by the European NGO PLAN,” the EU Delegation here stated.

Aside from revisiting Yolanda-affected areas, the EU Commissioner will attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Manila.

She will also witness the signing of Euro 60 million or Php 1.8 billion financing agreement for health sector reform.

Euro 10 million or Php 600 million of the said financial assistance is already made available for reconstruction needs in areas devastated by typhoon Yolanda.

Apart from financial assistance to Yolanda-affected areas, EU also helped the victims of the October 2013 Bohol earthquake with Euro 2.5 million or Php 150 million; typhoon Pablo victims with Euro 6.3 million or Php 370 million; and those displaced in the September Zamboanga siege with Euro 300,000 or Php 18 million.

“In Europe, the request for assistance for post-Yolanda reconstruction programs has been received loud and clear.

Funds mobilized to assist the affected communities by the European Union, its member states and private European donations now amount to a remarkable Euro 740 million (Php 44.4 billion),” EU noted.