No food aid for ‘Yolanda’ victims from UK for DSWD

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Wednesday clarified that it has not received food aid from the United Kingdom for Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan) victims, contrary to a British news report that UK food aid ended up in some Manila shops.

“Per DSWD’s records, the UK donations that have entered the country only include non-food items such as shelter box, communication equipment, solar lights and blankets,” DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said in a press briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

A report from the UK-based The Daily Mail over the weekend said that food aid from the UK were sold at “affluent” shops in Manila.
It also quoted one Keb Darge, a foreigner in Samar, as saying that relief supplies have been locked up by government officials.

He also claimed that he was also receiving death threats because of the information.

Soliman said that the UK donations were all consigned to non-government organizations and United Nations except for 504 tents which arrived in Manila on November 25. It was consigned to the DSWD.

There were also 224 shelter boxes that arrived in Cebu on November 13 and was consigned to DSWD Field Office VII.

Soliman also cleared that donations have reached the remotest island villages.

“Helicopter deliveries are even done by the Air Force and other foreign assets in hard to reach villages,” she said.

Last week, a Huey helicopter crashed while conducting relief operations. Six Air Force personnel and two DSWD employees were injured.

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