100 tonnes of emergency supplies to the Philippines to arrive today - Costello

13 November 2013

by Cllr Joe Costello

More than 100 tonnes of Irish Aid emergency shelter supplies, including tents, blankets and tarpaulins, will arrive today in the Philippines to assist thousands of families affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

The Irish airlift, valued at €510,000, contains:

· 599 tents,

· 700 tarpaulins

· 10,000 blankets

· 880 ropes

The supplies are in addition to the emergency funding of €1 million towards the relief effort announced by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D., on Sunday.

Announcing the dispatch of the emergency supplies, Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello T.D., said:

“These essential supplies will be distributed by Plan Ireland, to alleviate the immediate needs of men, women and children affected by one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. On hearing of the scale of the disaster, I immediately authorised an airlift of emergency shelter items to the Philippines from Ireland’s pre-positioned stocks in the UN Humanitarian Depot in Dubai.”

Today’s shipment is the second shipment of emergency stocks to the Philippines in as many weeks. On 30 October, a 75 tonne cargo with a value of €446,000 was dispatched from the Irish Aid stockpile in Subang, Malaysia following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake, which hit Bohol in the Philippines.

Minister Costello added: “Irish Aid is continuing to monitor the needs on the ground with our partners and is actively considering a further airlift of essential shelter items in the coming days and weeks.”

The Embassy of Ireland in Singapore and our Honorary Consul in Manila have been monitoring the situation and continue to be available to provide consular assistance to Irish citizens in the affected areas. If you are concerned about the safety of Irish citizens in the regions hit by the typhoon, please call the consular assistance unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin on (01) 478 0822.