Relief supplies come in
MORE relief supplies continue to come for typhoon victims as an additional $250,000 (P12 million) worth of laundry and toiletries arrived yesterday on chartered flights of Emirates Sky cargo plane at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The supplies were donated by the International Organization for Migration which coordinated with the Philippine government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Assistance (OFDA).
US charge d’affaires to the Philippines Leslie A. Bassett said the supplies consisted of some 50,000 pieces of sanitary soap, and thousands of hygiene kits containing laundry and toiletry supplies including plastic water containers.
Bassett said the donation was in addition to the $4 million that USAID provided in grants to various relief organizations and previous donations of relief supplies worth $400,000 to the Philippine National Red Cross..
In addition to the donation to IOM, medical teams consisting of US and Philippine military personnel have been providing medical assistance at evacuation centers.
Bassett said US military personnel also brought food, clothing, water and other needed supplies and equipment such bulldozers, cargo trucks, transport vehicles and heavy-lift helicopters to assist with relief efforts.
She added the US military are also helping through- out Metro Manila and Northern Luzon as part of the on-going cooperation between US and Philippine government to assist and provide sanitation among typhoon victims at the different evacuation centers.
Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, in an interview after the joint NDCC-Cabinet Group meeting in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, said international donors should be exempted from the election ban, which takes effect at least 45 days before the May 10, 2010 national elections, to ensure immediate and continued implementation. – Jay Chua and Regina Bengco
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