International aid starts pouring in for 'Sendong' victims

Donations for 'Sendong' victims have evidently picked up as several foreign governments and agencies give over P43 million in relief goods.   The Korean government turned over their donations to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Dec. 29. The donations include 500 sets of tents, 15,000 pieces of towels, 3,000 boxes of ready-to-eat meals, and 6,800 pieces of water purification tablets, amounting to over P21 million.   The German government collaborated with humanitarian aid agency Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) to supply P14.2 million in relief items.   Germany funded the supply of non-food items such as laundry soap, water containers, sleeping mattresses, blankets and sanitary napkins for 12,270 families in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, while DKH provided food items such as rice, mung beans, dried fish, sardines, cooking oil, and sugar for 5,665 families in Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Negros Oriental.   The goods were delivered on Dec. 29 by local NGO Citizens' Disaster Response Center (CDRC), and its regional centers Panday Bulig  and Center for People's Resources and Services.   International Catholic social service agency Caritas Switzerland also took part in operations by sending in relief packs with 10 kg of rice, 1 kg of mung beans, 1 kg of dried fish, 6 cans of sardines, 500 ml of cooking oil, 1 kg of sugar, 1 bar of laundry soap, a water container, a mattress and a blanket.   The packs, worth P7.7 million, will be distributed to 4,605 families in Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, and Negros Oriental by CDRC and its partners.   Focus on emergency shelters   Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it will focus on providing emergency shelter for Sendong victims as DSWD reports show that shelter is still a problem for over 10,000 families in 42 makeshift evacuation centers in the hardest-hit areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.   “Right now we are focusing on three main priorities identified jointly with the DWSD and our partner agencies in the camp coordination, camp management and emergency shelter clusters,” said IOM Emergency Program Manager Dave Bercasio.   The three main priorities, according to Bercasio, include providing alternative spaces for people sheltered in schools so that classes can resume this January, supplying shelter materials for families who are returning to their home communities, and upgrading and repairing evacuation centers to accommodate the displaced.   Previously, the IOM received over P43 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and more than P39 million from the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission for emergency shelter materials, essential non-food relief items and evacuation center repairs.   “This disaster has effectively left these people with nothing and the needs are huge. We are also hoping to receive additional funding from the United States and other international donors in the coming days,” said IOM Philippines Chief of Mission Ovais Sarmad.   IOM has already deployed 30 staff to the area.   According to a statement from IOM, the organization “[is] already distributing emergency shelter and non-food relief item kits, including plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, jerry cans and other essential items to families who are willing and able to return to their communities from evacuation centers.”   It also started repair work on centers, as well as construction of  temporary bathing facilities in Macasandig Covered Courts, where 300 families are sheltered. — With Amanda Lago/VS, GMA News