RZ Sends Doctors, Rescue Volunteers To Philippines

Bandung, West Java, Nov 15 (Antara)- Alms house Rumah Zakat (RZ) sent two doctors and two rescue volunteers to the Philippines, joining the South East Asia Humanitarian Committee (SEAHUM). "The RZ team consists of four people carrying medicines and food for refugees. They join SEAHUM," RZ CEO Nur Effendi said here on Friday. The medical personnel will help victims of the typhoon, he said. A number of refugees are currently in need of medical services because they begin to be affected by diseases and are in need of nutritious food. They will be staying in the disaster-hit location for seven days. "Haiyan", as the strongest typhoon ever hit the Philippines, has claimed 2,344 lives as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, with 79 others remaining missing. The Indonesian government has handed over US$1 million of its aid commitment of US$2 million for victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. "I have handed US$1 million or Rp11.8 billion in cash to the Philippine embassy in Jakarta," Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said here on Wednesday. Agung said aid in the form of goods worth US$1 million would be sent to the Philippines on Thursday (Nov 14) aboard three Hercules planes owned by the Indonesian Air Force. "Three Air Force Hercules planes (will leave for the Philippines) tomorrow. They will carry blankets, generators, mineral water, water purifiers, medicines and instant foods in six batches. In total, the goods are valued at US$1 million," he said. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency`s Head of Information Center and Public Relation, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the aid is divided into US$1 million in funds and US$1 million dollars in logistical goods including 75 tons of food. Those 75 tons of logistical goods have been provided by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency and include 6,000 food packages, 1,000 packages of side dishes, 21,000 nutritious supplements, 500 blankets, 1,000 packages of clothes, 1,000 kids ware packages and 10 electricity generators.