EU Humanitarian Aid exec arrives to assess ‘Yolanda’ needs

MANILA, Philippines – EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Georgieva arrives in the Philippines Friday night to personally assess relief needs in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda.

The EU's top official for Humanitarian Assistance, Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva will interrupt her visit to China and arrive in the Philippines today to gain a personal understanding of the human and material devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

The EU Commissioner arrives in Cebu this evening (Nov. 15) and travels to Tacloban tomorrow morning (Nov. 16) where she is scheduled to meet DILG Secretary Roxas and DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, as well as local officials.

She will also have the opportunity to gain an overview of humanitarian activity on the ground with visits to relief operations run by the UN and International NGOs in and around Tacloban.

Commissioner Georgieva will also meet with EU Civil Protection staff who are already on the ground to co-ordinate the relief operations of different European Union member states.

Through ECHO, the European Union Humanitarian Office, the EU has already announced a first tranche of humanitarian assistance of PHP 170 million. A further PHP 570 million has already been committed for reconstruction efforts.

In addition, EU member states are individually providing very substantial further relief funding and have been flying in plane loads of emergency supplies from Europe. The total value of assistance from the European Union and its member states is over Euro 60 million or Php 3.4 Billion.