Emergency airlift to the Philippines

Plan Ireland distribute emergency supplies from UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Malaysia

When Typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines in mid December several hundred people in Mindanao and Davao regions lost their lives and thousands were left without shelter.

Emergency supplies

In response we organised an airlift to take 32 tonnes of emergency supplies consisting of tents, pickaxes and spades and soap to provide shelter for families left homeless and assist with the recovery operation. These supplies were already in our stocks at the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Malaysia.  They will be distributed by Plan Ireland to 400 families who are experiencing extremely difficult conditions.  

Funding to agencies on the ground

In addition the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello approved funding amounting to €125,000 to Plan Ireland and Christian Aid for their work in addressing the immediate needs of affected families

Emergency personnel

A member of our Rapid Response Corps travelled to the Philippines to support UNICEF’s work on water and sanitation. This is critical in the aftermath of the typhoon and ensuring that public health conditions of the affected communities does not deteriorate. 

Ongoing monitoring

Speaking about the crisis and our emergency response, Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello T.D. said:

My staff are in close contact with the UN agencies responding to the emergency. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.”