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Despite the difficult logistic challenges, relief efforts are getting off the ground in the provinces of Cebu, Leyte, and Samar.
Malteser International (Order of Malta Worldwide Relief) provides food and hygiene kits to 1,500 families. Relief workers from HelpAge are traveling through Leyte on motorbikes in order to distribute food items. Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (Knights of St. John of Jerusalem) has sent a medical team to the disaster zone. Habitat for Humanity was able to provide 15,000 shelter repair kits to families for emergency reconstruction measures. In the following days, the relief organizations will expand their efforts as more aid supplies, such as water purification plants and medical supplies, are on their way.
The German telecommunication company Deutsche Telekom, a long-standing partner of Aktion Deutschland Hilft, once more supports the coalition’s relief efforts. The company has made an immediate donation of 50,000 Euros and has called on its employees for donations to the coalition.
The Philippine government has declared a state of emergency to ensure an adequate framework for emergency aid. More specifically, this means fixed prices for staple foods, medicine and fuel, guarantees for interest-free loans, and exceptions for import regulations of required goods for a period of 60 days.
Germany’s Relief Coalition (Aktion Deutschland Hilft) is a federation of German aid organizations acting in concert to provide quick and effective help in response to major disasters and emergencies abroad. In times of need, the initiators of this federation for action, each an autonomous organization in its own right, pool their knowledge and capacities, complementing one another and consolidating resources to provide the most effective help possible. During the acute phase of major disasters, Germany’s Relief Coalition makes a public appeal for donations. The existing administrative structures and capacities of the member organizations help keep costs down, making it possible to channel a maximum proportion of donated funds into direct aid. Germany’s Relief Coalition appeals to all people in Germany to unite in offering help in times of urgent need as a community of solidarity dedicated to alleviating human suffering. More Information: http://www.aktion-Deutschland-Hilft.de
