As the government intensifies its provision of temporary shelter assistance to homeless families in Eastern Visayas, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomes the tent donations of the Australian government.
The Royal Australian Air Force in coordination with the DSWD airlifted from Mactan Airbase in Cebu over the weekend an initial 1,000 tents for ‘Yolanda’ victims in Tacloban City and Ormoc City in Leyte, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar.
Each tent has a floor area of 16 square meters and can accommodate a family with eight to ten members.
The tents were earlier turned over to the DSWD by Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell. “Food, water, and the health of people affected by Typhoon Yolanda remain as pressing priorities, but it is also important to focus on providing them temporary shelter,” Ambassador Tweddell said.
The ambassador explained that while tents are only “a temporary solution and are just a small part of our overall assistance,” these are “also critical to help people start to rebuild their lives.” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman lauded the Australian government for its continuing assistance to families affected by the typhoon. “Aside from the monetary aid that they already have provided, the Australian government is also providing other much needed assistance in the relief operations. We thank them for being always ready to lend a hand to the Filipino people,” Secretary Soliman noted.
Likewise, the Royal Australian Air Force agreed to transport the 1,300 tents donated by the People’s Republic of China.# # #