The United States will be donating an additional P400-million aid to the Philippines for the recovery of typhoon Odette victims, the US Embassy in the Philippines said Monday, May 23.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant to the Administrator Sarah Charles announced the intention to donate on May 21.
This brings to P1.4 billion the total amount of aid given by the US government through USAID to assist the Philippines in responding to the immediate needs of those affected by the devastating typhoon that hit the country in December 2021.
“The U.S. government continues to support the people most affected by Typhoon Odette, the world’s worst cyclone event of 2021,” Charles said.
“The United States is pleased to provide this additional assistance to meet the recovery needs of individuals and families in the areas hardest hit by Typhoon Odette, and we will continue to work with our partners in the Philippines and across the region to help communities prepare for such disasters and build greater resilience,” Charles added.
The additional aid will be used to provide emergency maternal and child health services, repair damaged health centers, extend protection services for vulnerable persons, support the livelihoods recovery for farmers and fisherfolk, and assist households in rebuilding their homes in safe locations.
Over the weekend, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance also distributed shelter supplies in Barangay Caridad in Pilar municipality in Surigao del Norte province.
According to the embassy, USAID and partners Action Against Hunger, Catholic Relief Services, World Food Programme, and the International Organization for Migration have provided food, emergency cash, water, hygiene supplies, and other relief items to over 8,000 families in the southern part of the country.