Foreign envoys express sympathies, vow to extend help to Paeng victims

Several foreign ambassadors have expressed their sympathies and vowed to extend help to the victims of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.

The European Union (EU) offered its condolences to the families who perished following the onslaught of Paeng.

“The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines condoles with families of those who perished amidst typhoon Paeng. Our thoughts and sympathies as we extend our solidarity with the Filipinos with the effects of the typhoon,” the EU said in a Facebook post.

United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said their team is closely monitoring developments and vowed to assist the Philippine government.

“I offer my thoughts and prayers to all who are affected, especially friends and loved ones of the deceased. Our team is monitoring developments closely and stands ready to work with the  government to assist. Please stay safe,” she said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador-designate to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu also expressed support to provide assistance for the victims.

“Australia offers its heartfelt thoughts to those in the Philippines whose lives have been affected by Paeng. We stand with our friends at this difficult time and are ready to provide assistance as required,” Yu said in a tweet.

UK Ambassador-Designate to the Philippines Laure Beaufils, on the other hand, also vowed to provide help and monitor the situation.

“I am heartbroken to hear that more than 70 people have been killed by landslides & floods caused by Tropical Storm Paeng. All of @ukinphilippines and I are thinking of those affected by this tragedy. We are monitoring the situation closely and stand ready to support,” Beaufils said in a separate tweet.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian also offered prayers for the victims, adding that they coordinated with the Philippine government to provide assistance.

“‘Hangad ko ang kaligtasan ng lahat.’ My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and all communities affected by the onslaught of typhoon Paeng. We in the Chinese embassy are ready to extend our support and coordinate with the Philippine government to respond to this tragedy,” he said in a Facebook post.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko also expressed his sympathies for the victims.

In a separate statement, the Japanese government also said it is prepared to provide assistance to the Philippines following the recent calamity.

The number of reported fatalities due to Paeng has climbed to 110, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday morning.

As of Tuesday morning, a total of 160 cities and municipalities were under state of calamity due to the effects of Paeng, which exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday afternoon. — Richa Noriega/RSJ, GMA News