SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore humanitarian organisation Mercy Relief is preparing to deliver emergency aid to communities in Nepal and the Philippines hit recently by deadly floods.
The organisation said in a media release on Aug 29 that it is working with its local partners in the two countries to find out what is most needed on the ground.
For Nepal, Mercy Relief is planning to distribute emergency food packs, non-food items, shelter kits, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kits to the hardest-hit communities. Flash floods near the Nepal-China border on Aug 26 – triggered by a glacier collapse – claimed at least 600 lives, with almost 3,000 people still missing, including tourists.
Medical care, shelter, clean water and food are urgently required for isolated survivors, as settlements have been devastated and infrastructure destroyed, said Mercy Relief.
For the Philippines, the organisation is working alongside local partners to distribute about $28,500 worth of food packs and WASH kits to about 3,750 beneficiaries affected by heavy rainfall and landslides brought on by back-to-back cyclones Luis and Maymay earlier in August.
The resulting floods have claimed at least 31 lives, disrupted essential services, and devastated livelihoods, with more than 1.4 million families affected.
The Mercy Relief team is scheduled to be in the Philippines from Aug 31 to Sept 3.
Working with local partners ensures aid prioritises vulnerable groups within the communities, said the organisation’s international programmes manager Vidas Varma.
“They know which households have been missed, and help us continue our work with the vulnerable communities. This ensures that aid is always delivered to where it is actually needed,” added Varma.
The upcoming efforts in Nepal and the Philippines follow Mercy Relief’s response to the recent severe monsoon floods in Bangladesh.
Varma and Mercy Relief chief executive Leon Yip were in Chattogram on Aug 9 and 10 delivering $47,000 worth of disaster relief supplies to about 12,000 beneficiaries.
Support for Bangladesh and fund-raising efforts are currently ongoing.
Yip said in the statement: “Multiple disasters have occurred in a short span of time, each requiring a different approach to ensure our objectives are met.”
He added: “With the support of our ground partners and the Singapore public, we hope to deliver the emergency aid during our humanitarian missions to the Philippines and Nepal.” -- The Straits Times/Asia News Network
