Aid is starting to reach the hardest hit areas of the Philippines. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there are 13 million people affected by Typhoon Haiyan, including 4 million people displaced.
When a disaster like this strikes, relief agencies must go to donors and basically ask for charity. Last week, relief agencies issued a $301 million flash appeal to support emergency humanitarian assistance in the Philippines. This includes things like setting up emergency shelters, getting sanitation systems back online, setting up emergency clinics for pregnant woman, and feeding entire cities, among others. The appeal is still new, and many traditional donors have not yet made their commitments. Still, some donors have stepped up to the plate quickly and deserve praise.
Here’s an honor role of the top 10 countries and other entities supporting relief in the Philippines. In all, the appeal has received $81 million of the $301 million requested.
Top 10 contributors
United Kingdom $32,258,065
Australia $28,690,029
United States $26,980,302
Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) $25,000,000
United Arab Emirates $10,000,000
Private (individuals & organisations) $8,962,480
Denmark $6,915,184
Allocation of unearmarked funds by UN agencies 6,650,000
Norway $6,471,389
Spain $4,160,670
European Commission $4,132,231 2.3
Asian Development Bank $3,000,000
Austria $1,859,504
Italy $1,377,411