UN asks for more assistance for Philippine typhoon survivors

As the Philippines marks on Sunday the 100 days of Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda), which ravaged the country on Nov. 8, the United Nations (UN) called on Saturday for more support to rebuild the lives of millions of victims in the devastated areas. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Philippines Luiza Carvalho, in a statement, said that millions of Filipinos still require urgent assistance to rebuild their lives and livelihood and ensure that the gains made thus far are not rolled back as devastated communities begin the difficult process of recovery. As she commended those who have already helped the typhoon victims, the UN official said that they could not afford to be complacent. "The need for durable shelter for millions of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed is critical. Millions of livelihoods were similarly destroyed or impaired when the typhoon tore down or damaged 33 million coconut trees, flooded fields with salt water and took away or wrecked 30,000 fishing vessels," she said. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) for the Philippines is now prioritizing programming for shelter and livelihoods, while continuing to assist the most vulnerable people with life-saving assistance and protection services, Carvalho said. She said the support for the Philippine government's early recovery efforts was foreseen in the HCT's Strategic Response Plan (SRP), which covers the 12 months following the typhoon. Of the 788 million U.S. dollars required for the SRP, 45 percent has been received, she added. The typhoon affected 14 million people and destroyed or severely damaged more than a million homes in the Philippines. It also left at least 6,200 people dead and more than 1,700 missing.