UN seeks $45.5 million aid for Rolly victims

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations (UN) and its humanitarian partners have launched an appeal for $45.5 million in immediate relief for victims of Super Typhoon Rolly.

The humanitarian needs and priorities plan was launched on Monday. It will support some 260,000 typhoon victims in 16 towns in Catanduanes and Albay, many of them living in poverty prior to the disaster and requiring urgent humanitarian assistance.

The plan has been developed based on preliminary assessment findings and estimates of people in need to enable humanitarian partners to kick-start immediate life-saving and protection activities.

Aside from immediate humanitarian assistance, it aims to provide and restore livelihood and access to critical services and address the needs of vulnerable communities, such as women, children and persons with disabilities.

Gustavo Gonzalez, UN humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines, said the humanitarian community is ready to “translate solidarity into concrete support” through a coordinated response, combining emergency relief and early recovery.

“The UN and humanitarian partners in the Philippines are mobilizing all our resources to ensure that we leave no one behind at this time of great need,” Gonzalez said.

On Sunday, Gonzalez led an inter-agency team to Albay to assess the damage. He also talked to local officials, frontline responders and typhoon victims.

Agri damage hits P8 B

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Typhoons Rolly and Quinta wiped out nearly P8 billion in agricultural products and affected close to 100,000 farmers.

Damage to agriculture due to Rolly was pegged at P5 billion. Quinta destroyed P2.66 billion in farm products.

A total of 221,537 hectares of agricultural land with production losses of 342,962 metric tons were affected in the Cordilleras, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol as well as Western and Eastern Visayas.

The rice sector incurred P2.89 billion in losses or 38 percent of the damage. At least 105,735 hectares with 175,261 MT of produce were affected.

Damage to high-value crops was at P2.62 billion; Bicol’s abaca industry, P1.02 billion; corn, P191 million; fisheries, P105 million; agriculture facilities, P209 million, and livestock and poultry, P57 million.

The DA said it has a standby quick response fund of P400 million.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways said four roads damaged by previous typhoons in the Cordilleras, Cagayan Valley and Calabarzon remain impassable.

The National Electrification Administration said power had been restored in 68 percent of households affected by Rolly. – Louise Maureen Simeon, Catherine Talavera, Jose Rodel Clapano