Int'l humanitarian bodies to raise US$791 for Yolanda rehab

MANILA, Philippines - International humanitarian agencies are aiming to raise US$791 million for the rehabilitation and recovery efforts being done by the Philippine government in the areas in Eastern Visayas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda.

The United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that its partners presented on Tuesday the Strategic Response Plan for the rehabilitation of the calamity-stricken areas.

The OCHA said the amount to be raised will complement the Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan of the Philippine government that will be launched on December 18.

The OCHA said that according to the figures of Department of Social Welfare and Development, at least 14 million people were affected by the super typhoon which battered provinces in Eastern Visayas last November 8.

Of the total affected population, four million have been displaced from their homes.

The OCHA said that at present, over 4.1 million family have received food packs distributed by the DSWD and the World Food Programme.

The international agency said that more than, 144,000 temporary shelters have been distributed by humanitarian agencies to the displaced people.

"The availability of housing supplies remains patchy in affected areas," the OCHA added in its report.

It also noted that the Migration Outflow Desks have monitored that around 500 people are reportedly leaving Guiuan town in Eastern Samar, one of the hardest hit areas by Yolanda.