Wazzup Pilipinas!
The State of Qatar, through the Qatari Red Crescent Mission in the Republic of the Philippines, has provided the first batch of emergency aid worth 100,000 USD, including home maintenance materials, blankets, plastic sheets, household utensils and personal hygiene items, for those affected by the typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) in the northern Philippines.
Typhoon Mangkhut, which hit the Philippines on 15 September 2018, left behind more than 100 killed and missing, 49,000 damaged houses, and 128,000 displaced people. The tropical storm weighed heavily on infrastructure, schools, health facilities, and agriculture, with losses amounting to $340 million.
The Qatari's relief aid arrived in Manila on Thursday, 20/09/2018, and the actual distribution began on Sunday, 22/09/2018, in cooperation with the Philippine Red Cross. In the first phase, household maintenance items were distributed to around 700 families in the province of “Cagayan", as a very urgent need because of the large numbers of homes that were destroyed, after conducting a tour by helicopter to inspect the damage.
With 5,100 beneficiaries targeted, the relief program is coordinated with local authorities, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Philippine Red Cross.
"We have a comprehensive response plan," said Dr. Manuel N. Mamba, Governor
of Cagayan. "With the appreciated Qatari support, it will definitely work. We are
serious about withstanding the storm, making the affected areas more resilient, and enabling their populations to restore their normal lives".
Each package of household maintenance items included:
- Four (4) metal plates (zinc) of excellent type, stainless steel and water-resistant. - saw.
- Hammer.
- Screws of different sizes.
Technician teams were also deployed to train citizens on how to maintain houses.
On Monday, 24/09/2018, the same package was distributed for the second time to different affected citizens.
On Tuesday, 25/09/2018, relief items were distributed to 150 families, including the following:
- Plastic covers.
- Blankets.
- Mosquito nets.
- Mat for sleeping.
- Personal hygiene bag.
A fundraising drive also has been launched to raise $1m (QR 3.65m) for an extended relief program. These funds will be used to provide diverse aid in shelter, health care, water and sanitation, food security, and livelihood.
QRCS’s representation mission in the Philippines is coordinating with the Philippine Red Cross and the International Red Cross and Red Cross Movement partners to organize the immediate intervention identify the affected regions and priorities needs, such as blankets, kitchenware, power generators, drinking water, and hygiene materials.
H.E. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Malki, Ambassador of the State of Qatar in Manila, was
personally interested in the activities of QRCS's mission. He gave instructions to
the embassy staff to facilitate everything related to the relief plan, emphasizing the
importance of allowing the victims access to relief provisions, especially in the
worst-hit regions.
He also stressed coordination only with state and licensed organizations, compliance with national laws and procedures, and transparency throughout the process of humanitarian intervention.
Chris Staines, Head of IFRC Country Office in the Philippines, told the reporters in
Cagayan, "QRCS is always there to lend a hand during natural disasters in the
country. This is highly valued by all Movement partners and implies that QRCS is committed to its humanitarian duty towards the vulnerable communities".
Richard J. Gordon, Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, commended the prompt response by QRCS, "which stands by us before, during, and after disasters. We are happy with the support that Qatar offers to us, both in word and deed, during the endless disasters in my country. QRCS is a real partner, and it is typically one of
the first to respond to humanitarian appeals. Thank you Qatar".
To support QRCS’s relief efforts in the Philippines, you can donate via hotline (66644822 – 66666364 – 16002), website (www.qrcs.org.qa), or QRCS’s agents and donation boxes at 44 locations countrywide. Ooredoo customers can send an SMS with “F” as follows: 92402 (QR150), 92552 (QR250), 92092 (QR500), or 92246 (QR1,000).
Brief History about the Qatari Red Crescent Mission in the Philippines:
The Qatar Red Crescent draws its vision and scope of action from two fundamental principles of the seven international humanitarian actions that it works under its umbrella: humanitarian and universal. The mission of philanthropy targets people everywhere without any distortion or discrimination based on language, gender, race or religion. It is a universal message and not a subject to restrictions or limitations.
The Qatari Red Crescent has expanded its 37 years old operations, projects and assistance to more than 47 countries in various hot spots around the world, providing support to vulnerable people affected by natural disasters or armed conflicts, in the light of its mission to ensure self-preservation and human dignity, which include a set of general rules governing its work, among them is the coordination with the responsible authorities in the target area, the recruitment and training of community cadres and volunteers, the study of the local environment and taking into account the common elements such as food, building materials, architectural designs and clothing, etc., and the purchase of relief materials from the local market in the event of availability, to stimulate business activity and achieve economic return complementary to the relief purpose.
The Qatari Red Crescent Mission is working closely to expand the umbrella of humanitarian assistance and future projects to include the distribution of various other relief materials to mitigate the impact of disasters and to target other groups such as children and elderly, as well as preparing for the early recovery phase that will begin after the disaster and the return of the displaced persons to their towns.
The Qatari Red Crescent Mission in the Republic of the Philippines has been working in cooperation with the local partner, the Philippine Red Cross, since 2012, through the provision of financial and logistical support to relief projects implemented by the two parties in favor of vulnerable groups and communities affected by natural disasters and crises through grants either financed directly by the Qatari Red Crescent Foundation or in partnership with some organizations within the State of Qatar. Qatar Red Crescent projects in the Philippines cover various sectors such as housing, education, food security, hygiene promotion, water and sanitation.
The most prominent projects implemented by the Qatari Red Crescent in the Republic of the Philippines during the period of 2012 to 2017:
1. Construction of 250 shelters for cyclone Washi survivors in Mindanao Region, specifically in the city of Iligan.
2. Construction of Communal latrines in the city of Iligan (Cyclone Washi- 2012)
3. Establishing 7 points of distribution of drinking water in the city of Iligan to the affected people of cyclone Washi 2012.
4. Distribution of food and non-food assistance to the victims of Typhoon Hayan in 2012.
5. Construction of 650 shelters in addition to 7 classrooms in the city of Tacloban in 2015 for the victims of Typhoon Hayan disaster. (The first Phase).
6. Completion of Second Phase of Typhoon Hayan victim’s shelters project, where 650 shelters were built in the city of Santafe, which was affected by the disaster in 2013.
7. Raising the capacity and readiness of the Philippine Red Cross to intervene immediately at the time of the disaster by providing it with 1,000 emergency shelter repair packages. Each package includes the basic kit for affected families to repair their damaged homes after the disaster. This package includes tarpaulins, nails of different sizes, wires and a variety of fixtures and tools.
8. Restoration of 117 houses for families affected by the recent Surigao earthquake (2017).
The Qatari Red Crescent interventions in favor of the victims of Marawi crisis 2017:
As part of its efforts to urgent respond to the humanitarian needs of victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts around the world, the Qatar Red Crescent distributed emergency food and non-food assistance to families displaced by the Marawi crisis in the southern Philippines. This assistance, which the Qatar Red Crescent intended to distribute in cooperation with the local partner, included Personal hygiene and food items for some 11,000 families were residing in more than 15 shelters throughout Mindanao Region, as well as families who have taken refuge in neighboring towns in the vicinity of Lake Lanao, up to about USD $193,036.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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