Thailand's assistance to typhoon victims in Philippines

BANGKOK, November 19 (TNA) - Thailand is sending more assistance to Super Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines, including those presented by members of the Royal Thai Family. Assistant Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Thongchai Chalaemkhet on Tuesday inspected the delivery of 7,000 sets of consumer products donated by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Princess Srirasmi to help victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Two C-130 aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force then departed Bangkok to first deliver 1,000 sets of the royally-supported necessities to the victims in the Philippines, together with medical supplies donated by the Thai government. Pipat Niyomkarn, Deputy Managing Director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, told reporters that the 500-kilogram-medical supplies delivered to the Philippines, worth about 500,000 baht, include fever reducers, painkillers, antibiotics, antidiarrhoeals, rehydration salts, saline solutions and athlete's foot medications, while more medications will be delivered later, after concerned officials conclude a list of the additional medical supplies needed by the Philipines. Tuesday's relief assistance is destined for Mactan Airport in the Philippines' Cebu City and will be immediately handed over to the Philippine government for further delivery to the typhoon victims. Dr. Pakawat Julthong of Hat Yai Hospital said on behalf of the Thai Ministry of Public Health that he will leave for the Philippines on November 20 to inquire about the Philippines' need for medical assistance and will report the Philippines' need to the Thai government on November 21. Dr. Pakawat acknowledged that his ministry has put on standby three medical teams of 17 medical personnel each to help the Philippines. Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ambassador for Thailand Anand Panyarachun, who is also former Thai prime minister, has called for Thai people to render finance support to victims of Super Haiyan in the Phillipnes, considered a most catastrophic natural disaster in the world. According to the UNICEF top envoy for Thailand, 5.4 million children are among a total number of 12.9 million people affected by the recent super typhoon in the Philippines and need urgent assistance and the UNICEF is, therefore, raising a 61.5-million-US dollar fund to assist the disaster victims over the next six months, in which Thai people are welcome to join. The UNICEF ambassador noted that a latest survey also found that over 1.9 million Super Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines have become displaced, 790,000 of whom are children, while approximately 1.5 million children are at risk of malnutrition, excluding about 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who are in need of nutrition support. The UNICEF has delivered, by land, air and sea, essential items, including shelters, medicines, water purification tablets and sanitation supplies to the disaster victims in the Philippines, along with over 30 disaster mitigation experts from several countries to the super storm-ravaged areas. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Philippine Armed Force and the UNICEF have collaborated and restored the water supply system in Tacloban, the capital of mostly-affected Leyte Island to serve local people and those in nearby areas. Super Typhoon Haiyan hit 43 provinces in the eastern side of the central Philippines, affecting about 200,000 households. (TNA)