The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has today begun its next wave of aid that will see 2,500 families affected by Typhoon Haiyan assisted with life-saving resources in the coming days.
The response, which follows the agency’s distribution of emergency food packs to 1,600 families, will provide water and hygiene kits, shelter provisions and additional emergency food for the worst effected families on the hard-hit coastal fringe of Panay Island, Philippines.
“Today’s operation saw almost 1,000 hygiene kits brought into three communities,” said Emanuel Da Costa, Program Manager for ADRA’s Typhoon response. “Many of these people have literally nothing left – their homes and all their belongings were destroyed in the storm.”
The hygiene kits will help protect vulnerable families against disease and illness. The kits include a jerry can, bucket, water treatment solution, soap, toothbrush and tooth paste, laundry detergent and other hygiene supplies.
“Families in the communities of Sua, Pase and and Tiabas will now have the resources they need to reinstate proper hygiene practices for a month,” said Mr Da Costa. “This is essential to ward against potentially deadly disease.”
The food packs will provide enough rice, salt, sugar, oil, canned fish, peanut butter and other items to feed a family of five for a month, while the shelter kits will provide tarpaulins and other building supplies to ensure temporary shelters can be established as families plan for their future.
A total of 2,100 hygiene, 2,100 food packs, and 2,500 shelters kits will be delivered by ADRA in the coming days. This will bring the total of number of people impacted by ADRA’s work to 34,000.
ADRA continues to co-ordinate with other responding agencies and plan future responses as relief efforts transition to the restoration of livelihoods and other long term needs.
For more information about ADRA’s response in the Philippines contact Braden Blyde by emailing ercomms@adra.ph or following ADRA Australia on Facebook at www.facebook.com/adraaustralia