The Government of Japan’s US$4.5 million donation was welcomed by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This aid aims to feed hundreds of thousands of flood victims in the Philippines as well as providing much-needed financial support for WFP’s newly-arrived helicopters.
The contribution, the largest to date in support of WFP’s flood relief efforts, will be used to buy 6,700 metric tons of rice—enough to assist the efforts to provide food assistance to 670,000 people for one month.
It will also help to ensure that WFP’s three emergency relief helicopters remain airborne over the course of the next month to facilitate a swift and coordinated response by the Government of the Philippines and other humanitarian agencies.
Besides Japan, other donors who have so far contributed to WFP’s flood relief effort in the Philippines include UN CERF (US$ 3 million); Spain (US$ 2 million); Australia (US$ 1.7 million) and ECHO (US$ 600,000). (WFP)