Government urged to increase aid to typhoon victims

Irish aid agency Goal yesterday called on the Government to increase the funds it has made available to those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

While it welcomed the Government’s initial allocation of €1 million towards the relief effort, the agency said the funding was not proportionate to the scale of the disaster.

"Although the full extent of the damage is still unfolding, it is clear at this stage that there is an enormous amount of destruction spread across a very wide area," chief executive Barry Andrews said.

“People are in desperate need of water, food and shelter and the time is right for a strong message of solidarity.”

The agency dispatched an emergency response team to the region around Tacloban on the Philippine island of Leyte earlier in the week, and the first batch of supplies, including dried and canned food, will be dispatched from Cebu to affected families today.

Oxfam Ireland also said yesterday its rapid assessment teams had been deployed to Samar, Leyte and Northern Cebu to provide emergency supplies of water, sanitation and shelter.

Despite the transport challenges, the agency said it is sending a vehicle to the affected areas with supplies and aims to start initial distributions for emergency water supply in the next day or two.

It also said some 16 tonnes of aid worth close to €150,000, currently stored at Oxfam’s UK warehouse, will be shipped as soon as possible.

Unicef Ireland said its teams had arrived in the Philippines to oversee its aid efforts for up to four million children affected by the typhoon.

Executive director Peter Power said the agency was calling for €25 million globally to aid its operation .