More aid for Tropical Sendong victims arrive

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said today it has received US$12,613,473.87 worth of foreign donations for the victims of tropical storm Sendong (Washi) that  hit parts of Visayas and Mindanao last December 16.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, number of fatalities rose to 1,257, while the estimated damage to property went up to P1.382 billion.

The donated amount includes those received from Filipino communities, Philippine Embassies and Consulates General around the world and private individuals.  It also does not include donations without equivalent monetary value.

The total donations consist of US$4,780,656.15 in cash, US$2,122,255.14 in kind and US$5,710,563 worth of pledges.

Top donors include the United States (US$100,000 in cash and US$5.4 million in pledges), Australia (US$1,015,246.92 in cash and US$304,600.82 in kind), China (US$1.01 million in cash), Czech Republic (US$894,000 in cash), Republic of Korea (US$500,000 in kind and US$110,000 in pledges), Indonesia (US$310,000 in cash and US$200,000 in kind) and New Zealand (US$500,000 in cash).

Other foreign donors include Japan (US$320,163.09 in kind), Spain (US$261,470.66 in cash), Ireland (US$130,807.66 in kind), Malaysia (US$100,000 in cash), Singapore (US$38,714.37 in cash and US21,533.57 in kind), Chile (US$25,000 in cash), Thailand (US$100,000 in cash), Denmark (US 52,783.82 in cash), Belgium (US$130,562.58 worth of pledges), Italy (US$645,150 in kind), Switzerland (US$320,714.98 in cash) and Oman (US$2,909.65 in cash).

Filipino communities around the world have also sent in their assistance.  The Filipino community in the U.S. Northeast has sent in US$11,170 in cash coursed through the Philippine Consulate General in New York, while other members of the Filipino in the U.S. collected US$8,287.80 in cash.  The Filipino community in Guam donated US$3,956 in cash, while the Laguna Association of Guam gave US$500 in cash.

Other donations from the Filipino community include US$1,000 in cash from the Filipino community in Malaysia, US$3,921.45 in cash from the Filipino community in France, US$1,094.25 in cash from the Filipino community in Myanmar, US$2,275.30 in cash from the Filipino community in Xiamen and US$195.95 in cash from the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona.

Private individuals and businesses have also donated to the cause.  Russian businessmen gave US$20,000 in pledges, and the Dalai Lama Trust also provided US$50,000 in pledges.  The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Guam provided US$14,420 in cash, and the Philippine Consulate General in Guam collected money from various individuals, which totaled US$2,895.

International organizations have also stepped in to help.  Last December 22, the United Nations launched a consolidated flash appeal for humanitarian assistance with the humanitarian community and the Philippine Government for Sendong victims amounting to US$28,576,819.  The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has an initial appeal of US$50,000, and that their Philippine office has a team who conducted needs assessment in Mindanao and is providing relief support.  Currently, a four-member delegation from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) is now in the Sendong-stricken areas to assess the devastation wreaked by the storm, and also to look into how member-states could extend assistance to the affected communities.