Over 1500 metric tons of relief supplies sent through IHC to Haiyan victims in Philippines

Abu Dhabi: As the number of affected people in the Philippines continues to rise, humanitarian assistance shipped out from the UAE pours into remote regions devastated by super-typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda locally. The International Humanitarian City (IHC) said yesterday that over 1500 metric tons of relief supplies from stockpiles of various UN agencies and international NGOs have so far been sent from its warehouses. Over the past two weeks, members and partner organizations of IHC have been employed heavily in operations for the victims of typhoon Haiyan. Since the beginning of the disaster, stocks and trucks carrying emergency relief goods have left IHC, and aircraft from Dubai have delivered items in Cebu, Manila, Leyte and Tacloban where operational hubs for relief have been set up to facilitate distribution. The Dubai global logistics office of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) dispatched two Boeing 747 aircrafts financed by the British Department for International Development (DFID) to Cebu. The consignments included rescue vehicles, tarpaulins, hygiene parcels and jerry cans with a total value of US$ 579,500. An additional Boeing B747 aircraft was sent out on Monday with 357 CBM and 51 MT with rescue vehicles, hygiene parcels and jerry cans with a total value of US$ 393,500. The Dubai Supply Office of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) sent six emergency flights from DWC, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Airports to the Philippines. These flights airlifted more than 600 metric tons of relief supplies of mainly family tents, blankets, plastic tarpaulins, water jerry cans, kitchen sets, as well as five vehicles with communication equipment. The total value of the relief supplies which were airlifted from Dubai has exceeded US$ 4M. The first airlift arrived on 14th November to Mactan International Airport in Cebu City. Presently, UNHCR Field Staff are distributing relief items to typhoon survivors in Tacloban's San Jose and Bagacay areas, and in Tanauan. IHC and its members are committed to strengthening measures to reach the typhoon victims and help build resilience in their devastated communities. . – Emirates News Agency, WAM