Switzerland to give CHF6 million in typhoon aid
Switzerland has pledged CHF6 million ($6.6 million) in aid for the victims of typhoon Haiyan, the Swiss foreign ministry announced on Saturday. The storm decimated the Philippines on November 8, with close to 5,000 deaths reported as of last Thursday.
The money has been earmarked for assistance in four areas: water, sanitation, emergency shelter and medical care. In addition, Switzerland will support other aid organisations working in the area, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, both financially and through the deployment of experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA).
In the week following the typhoon, Switzerland sent 21 tonnes of emergency supplies to the Philippines, but according to Swiss public television SRF much of the aid sent by a variety of countries was having trouble reaching victims due to problems with infrastructure.
On Saturday the foreign ministry announced that aid – including food, hygiene kits, temporary shelter kits and cooking utensils – had reached the victims in the north of the island Cebu.
Typhoon Haiyan, estimated to be one of the most powerful tropical storms ever to reach land, has reportedly displaced more than 900,000 people and affected a total of almost 12 million.
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