UN, EU vow to support PH in Typhoon Rolly response

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations and the European Union have vowed to support the government’s response to assist communities affected by Typhoon Rolly.

United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez confirmed to the Philippine government the readiness of the humanitarian community to support national efforts.

“We have not waited for the landfall of this typhoon to mobilize our humanitarian teams and take action,” Gonzalez said in a statement on Monday.

“UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs are already working with relevant government departments and offices, Philippine Red Cross, and with private sector groups to coordinate our efforts to support the conduct of rapid needs assessments and swiftly assist the most vulnerable people caught in the typhoon’s destructive path,” it added.

Humanitarian agencies, according to the United Nations, are conducting assessments of the humanitarian impact of the typhoon, including in the most hard-hit areas, in coordination with the government and while observing all movement restrictions and safety measures in place due to the new coronavirus.

It added that the Red Cross emergency response teams are also supporting the authorities in search and rescue efforts and in providing immediate relief to hard-hit communities as the disaster unfolds.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is mapping humanitarian and development partners in affected areas to support impact assessments, according to the UN statement.

It also said the International Organization for Migration would extend support to local authorities in the management of evacuation centers.

The World Food Programme has also received request for logistical support for food distribution in calamity areas, it added.

As he cited the Filipinos for being “incredibly resilient,” Gonzalez stressed that no one must be left behind as authorities and humanitarian organizations implement disaster response and relief operations.

“We must prepare for the worst and be ready to save lives, while putting trust in the effectiveness of years of close collaboration on emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction efforts such as the timely evacuation of people in low-lying areas. In the next hours and days we must collectively do everything in our power to save lives and ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.

The European Union has also expressed solidarity with the Filipino people and vowed to assist in recovery efforts.