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Typhoon Haiyan: Distribution of aid supplies in progress

by Aktion Deutschland Hilft | Aktion Deutschland Hilft e.V. - Germany
Thursday, 14 November 2013 14:57 GMT

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Members of Aktion Deutschland Hilft (Germany’s Relief Coalition) continue their distribution of aid supplies in the provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Samar, and Bohol. They provide those affected by the typhoon with food, drinking water, hygiene items such as soap and desinfectant, blankets and sleeping bags. Among the supplies distributed are also tarpaulins and shelter repair kits for the construction of emergency shelters.

“Food such as rice, beans, pasta and water, as well as kitchen utensils and hygiene items can be purchased regionally. Bigger appliances – water purification units, for instance – have been transported to the disaster zone by air cargo,“ explains Manuela Roßbach, Executive Director of Aktion Deutschland Hilft (Germany’s Relief Coalition).

The organizations are simultaneously expanding the distribution of aid supplies and adding to their staff on the ground: water engineers and skilled medical personnel – some especially qualified to tend to the specific needs of the disabled and traumatized – have arrived in Cebu and Leyte. Additional relief workers from both the Asian world and Germany are on their way.

Organizations are especially concerned with the distribution of aid supplies to people living in remote areas. The people in Bohol, for instance, have been hit twice. Only in October they were affected by a severe earthquake.

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/en

 

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