The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has set up an emergency fund to buy relief goods for victims of several regional disasters, including those affected by tropical storm “Ondoy” in the Philippines.

Also, the United Nations is considering tapping an emergency response fund and launching an appeal for Philippine relief to the tune of “tens of millions of dollars”.

The foreign affairs department has announced that donations for relief and recovery assistance in Ondoy’s aftermath from the international community has reached more than half a billion pesos.

566-million-peso int’l aid

Foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo reported to President Gloria Arroyo Friday that donations from various governments have reached 566 million pesos as of October 2.

“The Philippine government is deeply appreciative of our international partners’ swift response to our call for aid,” said Romulo.

The donations, which will add to the government’s relief efforts, will go to the National Disaster Coordinating Council, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philippine National Red Cross and other agencies authorised to receive donations, he said.

The Asean humanitarian relief fund is aimed at helping the victims of “Ketsana” (Philippine name “Ondoy”) in the Philippines, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, as well as those of earthquakes in Indonesia earlier this week, according to the Asean secretariat.

Asean cooperation fund

The secretariat has called for donations to be sent to a Jakarta branch of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp. (HSBC) through an account named the “Asean Cooperation Fund for Emergency Relief” (US dollar account 001-382019-210 with Swift code HSBCIDJA).

Asean groups Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Viet Nam.

The secretariat said members not affected by the multiple disasters, like Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, are considering sending teams to the affected areas to help in the relief efforts.

Asean secretary general Surin Pitsuwan will be visiting the affected countries to obtain a comprehensive regional overview of the disasters and determine how Asean can further help the affected populations.

UN’s flash appeal

United Nations Undersecretary General John Holmes said the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) planned to launch a “flash appeal” in the “tens of millions of dollars” for the Philippines next week.

Holmes, who is in charge of humanitarian affairs, said the OCHA was looking at using the Central Emergency Response Fund to kick-start funding, according to notes from a media briefing Holmes gave in New York yesterday that was posted on the UN website.

Holmes said an eight-member disaster assessment and coordination team had been sent to Manila to help the government provide water, sanitation, food, health care and protection.

Europe’s aid totals 254-million-pesos

According to the list of donors provided by the DFA, the European Commission in the Philippines gave 2 million euros in urgent relief funding.

The Embassy of Spain gave 150,000 euros for food aid, while the Spanish organization, Accion Contra el Hambre, donated 250,000.

A plane chartered by the Spanish government to send humanitarian aid to the victims of “Ondoy” is scheduled to arrive in Manila Sunday. Its cargo of 35 tons of relief goods donated by the Spanish government, Autonomous Regions, city councils and NGOs, consists of water treatment plants, tents, sanitary kits and others, according to an embassy statement.

The Swiss government issued 250,000 Swiss francs (approximately P11 million) to support emergency-related operations which the Swiss Red Cross will remit to the Philippine National Red Cross.

The French foreign ministry has earmarked an initial 10,000 euros to the PNRC as its initial contribution.

Germany is providing 500,000 euros in emergency humanitarian aid to be given to German humanitarian aid organisations.

The combined European aid totals 254 million pesos.

Other donors

The United States donated $100,000 for relief efforts, while Canada has pledged Canadian $5 million (approximately US$4.7 million).

Canada has pledged to fast-track the emigration of Philippine citizens “directly and significantly” affected by “Ondoy” seeking to relocate there, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced in Ottawa on Thursday.

“Effective immediately, immigration officials will begin expediting applications from individuals directly and significantly affected by the typhoon,” Kenney said.

The measures include “priority processing” of claims to reunite individuals with their families already living in Canada as well as temporary resident applications, he said.

Some 330,000 Canadians trace their roots to the Philippines, representing Canada’s third largest ethnic minority, according to a 2001 census.

China pitched in with US$100,000 and another US$10,000 to the PNRC, while the Chinese firm Huawei donated US$30,000.

Singapore raised S$30,000 and a further S$20,000 in seed money to jumpstart a donations drive by the Singapore Red Cross.

South Korea donated emergency relief assistance in the form of rice, tents, medical supplies and other essential items worth US$300,000. A Korean company, OCI Co., also donated US$50,000 through the PNRC.

The Japanese government is sending US$220,000 worth of relief goods. Australia has pledged Australian $1 million (approximately US$879,000).

The UN World Health Organisation has launched a US$42,000 relief fund.

The UN World Food Programme has also stepped up efforts to provide immediate relief to the typhoon victims.

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said the agency would conduct a three-month emergency operation to bring food and other assistance to people affected by “Ondoy.”

Boracay fundraiser

Boracay tourists and residents of the resort island have initiated a drive to collect donations for “Ondoy’s” victims.

The groups include the Boracay Foundation Inc. and the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), composed of more than 200 resorts, restaurants, hotels and other businesses on the island.

BCCI vice president-internal David Goldberg said in a telephone interview they sent the relief goods to Manila on Friday through Sea Air which volunteered to transport the goods free of charge. Goldberg said they also collected 60,000 pesos in cash.

The Aklan provincial board has passed a resolution authorizing Governor Carlito Marquez to extend 500,000 pesos in assistance.

The capital of Kalibo, which was also buried in knee-high mud for weeks last year because of Typhoon “Frank,” will send 200,000 pesos in assistance to Marikina.

With reports from Inquirer Visayas