U.S. provides additional Php51 million  for Typhoon Odette assistance

The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional Php51.1 million ($1 million) in humanitarian assistance to help communities affected by Typhoon Odette, bringing total U.S. support for this response to more than Php1.08 billion ($21.2 million).

With this new assistance, USAID will strengthen its partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide additional logistics support to communities hit by Typhoon Odette.

“As friends, partners, and allies, we will continue to support the Philippines in its post-typhoon recovery,” said U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava.  “This additional assistance will help deliver food and other essential items to communities devastated by the typhoon.”

In coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), USAID and WFP will deploy an additional 300 trucks to transport food and other supplies to typhoon-affected areas.  This partnership will also support OCD in delivering relief supplies to remote municipalities and barangays.

Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, announced this additional support at a virtual UN briefing on February 2.

This new funding builds on the U.S. government’s assistance of Php1 billion ($20.2 million) announced in December to provide food; water, sanitation, and hygiene programs; shelter assistance; and logistics support to typhoon-affected communities.  As of January 28, USAID and WFP have already provided more than 300 trucks to transport approximately 350,000 household food rations, as well as hygiene kits, kitchen sets, and shelter kits to communities devastated by Typhoon Odette.

USAID works year-round to help communities in the Philippines prepare for and respond to natural disasters.  Through existing programs, in response to Typhoon Odette, USAID’s partners have transported relief supplies, helped manage evacuation shelters, deployed mobile operations vehicles to support emergency telecommunications, and provided heavy-duty plastic sheeting to meet the shelter needs of 4,800 families.

The United States will continue to partner with the Philippines to respond to natural disasters and support Filipinos in their recovery efforts.  Since 2010, USAID has provided more than Php17.5 billion ($342 million) in disaster relief and recovery aid, and boosted the disaster risk reduction capacity of over 100 cities and municipalities in the Philippines.

Learn more about U.S. efforts here: https://ph.usembassy.gov/fact-sheet-u-s-typhoon-odette-rai-assistance-to-the-philippines/