Norway foreign minister calls for more aid to Yolanda-hit areas

Visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende on Thursday urged Europe to scale up its aid to areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Philippines, saying these areas are still in a “very, very difficult situation” two months after the monster storm struck.

Brende—who visited typhoon-hit areas of Tacloban in Leyte and Basey in Samar on Wednesday as part of his three-day official trip to the country—announced an additional $8 million aid increase for the rehabilitation of affected areas.

The increase in Norway’s assistance makes it the third largest foreign donor, next to the United States and United Kingdom, with $ 43 million worth of aid.

Brende lamented that out of the United Nations’ $ 791-million appeal for the Philippines, roughly 40 percent have been turned in.

“I am appealing to my colleagues in the Europe and other colleagues that they would follow on this additional pledge so we can reach a much higher number than the 40 percent,” Brende told reporters after meeting with Philippine counterpart Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.

Yolanda was one of the strongest recorded storm to hit land with tsunami-like storm surges that washed and damaged more than a million houses and left more than 6,000 people dead.

The death toll continue to climb as more bodies are being found every day.

At least 14 million people have been affected and the UN said it will take several years before the devastated areas could fully recover.

Amid reports of overpriced substandard temporary shelters in Leyte, Brende, former Secretary-General of the Norwegian Red Cross, said the Philippine government must ensure that aid given by donors are used effectively and that rehabilitated structures like houses and emergency centers could withstand natural calamities.

“We are moving from the emergency phase to early recovery. For me it is important that aid is used as opportunity to build back better because we know this is an area very prone to natural disasters,” he said.

“What we will try is to see that it is used to build these local communities in a way that can better withstand future natural disasters,” Brende added.

Another challenge, Brende said, are water and sanitation, which could lead to the spread of diseases if not addressed immediately.

“My impression is there is a need for a lot of investments to build back these societies. That’s why we came up with additional funding so I am appealing to the rest of my colleagues to continue to support the government of the Philippines,” he said.  — KBK, GMA News