EU to give more humanitarian aid to PH after Cebu earthquake

The European Union (EU) has expressed willingness to provide more support for the Philippines following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City in Cebu last week in addition to its earlier release of €800,000 or P54 million in humanitarian aid in response to recent typhoons.

The EU said it is closely following the humanitarian situation in Cebu, which was hit by the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the area last Tuesday evening, with a depth of 5 kilometers and tectonic in origin.

Latest data available from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that the death toll was recorded at 71, with 559 injured, with the numbers subject to validation. There were some 128,464 families or 455,631 individuals affected.

“The EU expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and stand ready to provide additional support pending on-going needs assessment,” it said in a statement.

The EU earlier released €800,000 in humanitarian aid, following the recent tropical cyclones that affected the Philippines in the past weeks.

“The funding will help address the most urgent needs of people in the hardest hit areas, including communities that are also affected by conflict,” the EU said.

“This allocation will be used to provide emergency relief in areas such as shelter, health, and water and sanitation,” it added.

Masbate was among the hardest hit areas by Typhoon Opong (international name: Bualoi), which left thousands of families affected across the province. It was placed under a state of calamity on September 28.

Before this, the EU allocated €6.5 million for humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness in the Philippines, which includes €500,000 in response to the tropical cyclones that hit the country in July.

The southwest monsoon or Habagat, and tropical cyclones that hit the country late July — Crising (international name: Wipha), Dante (international name: Francisco), and Emong (international name: Co-may) —  have logged infrastructure damage of at least P7.355 billion, and a death toll of 34. — JMA, GMA Integrated News