US to provide $1 million worth of aid to Carina, Habagat victims

The United States government will be providing $1 million worth of humanitarian aid to those affected by the impact of Tropical Cyclone Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).

According to a statement by the US Embassy on Wednesday, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Catholic Relief Services and Action Against Hunger will be providing food aid, hygiene kits, emergency shelter kits, clean water, and one-time cash transfers to victims of the cyclone in Bulacan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, the National Capital Region, and Pampanga.

“The United States is providing $1 million to ensure life-saving assistance reaches families across the archipelago who have been devastated by severe flooding and landslides. We are committed to working with the Philippine government and people as they rebuild and recover from this disaster,” said USAID Acting Mission Director Betty Chung.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the assistance during his Manila visit on Tuesday, along with extending his condolences and a message of solidarity from US President Joe Biden.

“Let me just start by sending our deepest condolences to all the victims of the recent typhoon and to say again, anything we can do to be of assistance, we welcome doing that,” Blinken told Marcos during a joint courtesy call with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III.

USAID had already been providing assistance to flood victims in Mindanao and Central Luzon through the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development since July 16.

As part of the US government’s effort in boosting the Philippines' defense capability, some of the $500 million allocation will be used for EDCA sites, which will also be utilized for humanitarian efforts and disaster response.

The USAID is planning to preposition disaster relief supplies at an EDCA location later this year.

“They can be venues for joint cooperation and interoperability between the United States and the Philippines and multilaterally with like-minded nations,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.  said.

“So these are not monodimensional but multidimensional investments that will help the development of the country and help to deter unwanted and unlawful aggression by building a credible deterrent posture,” he added.

The combined effects of tropical cyclone Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon has affected more than 4.8 million individuals all over the country and has led to the deaths of at least 39 people.

The Department of Agriculture hads estimated the cost of damage caused by the flooding and heavy rains to be at least P1.21 billion as of Wednesday, while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council tallied the infrastructural damage to be at least P4.26 million on Tuesday. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News