– More than 100 tons of Irish Aid emergency shelter supplies, including tents, blankets and tarpaulins arrived 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.

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, Minister Costello immediately authorised an airlift of emergency shelter items to the Philippines from Ireland’s pre-positioned stocks in the UN Humanitarian Depot in Dubai.

Press Release from European Commission – IP/13/1052   11/11/2013

European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, has today announced new EU funds of eight million euros to contribute to the economic and social recovery of conflict-affected areas in Mindanao (The Philippines). The announcement was made during his first ever visit to the Philippines (10-12 Nov). The aim of the visit is to further advance bilateral development co-operation between the two parties.

The visit was scheduled prior to the Typhoon Haiyan, but it has inevitably been changed by the circumstances. Commissioner Piebalgs conveyed his condolences to the authorities and the people of Philippines and expressed his deepest sympathy and solidarity to the families of the victims and all those affected by Typhoon Haiyan which made land fall in The Philippines at the end of last week and resulted in very extensive loss of lives and destruction. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, has sent a condolences message to the President of the Philippines, Benigno Simeon Aquino III.