Singapore Red Cross to send $50,000 in humanitarian aid to Philippine quake victims
Fatimah Mujibah for The Straits Times
The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has pledged to contribute $50,000 in humanitarian aid to support emergency relief in Cebu after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the city late on Sept 30.
The amount will be used to support urgent medical needs, water sanitation and hygiene, including mental and psychosocial help by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), said the SRC in a statement on Oct 3.
SRC is also in discussions with other partners on the ground to deploy prepositioned water filters to affected communities.
Its disaster surveillance team is also keeping tabs on the incoming Tropical Cyclone Matmo that is expected to make landfall in the Philippines later on Oct 3.
SRC said it is in close coordination with its local humanitarian partners, including the PRC, to ensure assistance is directed to "the most urgent and evolving needs on the ground".
SRC secretary-general and chief executive Benjamin William said: "The situation in the Philippines is dire, thousands have lost their loved ones, homes and livelihoods. They might soon be confronted with another disaster with the incoming tropical storm. The situation is fluid, with the needs on the ground evolving daily."
The SRC's contribution is intended to provide immediate assistance, helping to ensure that essential needs are met swiftly and that hope remains alive, he added.
The PRC has also carried out its own assessments and emergency responses, including dispatching blood units to the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo, deploying two emergency medical service teams to support the hospitals and food trucks and water tanks to serve the affected communities with hot meals and clean water.
The death toll in Cebu stood at 72 as at Oct 2, with an estimated 20,000 displaced and infrastructure across the central Philippines in ruins, as the country continues to experience over 2,000 aftershocks since its initial earthquake.
Recovery efforts are further hampered by persistent rain, power outrages, and damaged infrastructures.
Cebu and other provinces are still recovering from a tropical storm that battered the central region last week, making search and rescue operations even more difficult.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Oct 2 sent his condolences to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, adding that he was "deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives and the widespread damage" caused by the earthquake.
On behalf of the Singapore Government, PM Wong extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and shared his sincere wishes for the speedy recovery of those who were injured.
He said that Singapore, as a fellow Asean member state and close friend of the Philippines, "stands ready" to provide assistance for ongoing relief and recovery efforts.
