Netherlands raises P1.5B aid

CEBU, Philippines - A nationwide campaign to gather funds for victims of super typhoon Yolanda in the Kingdom of Netherlands has raised 25 million euros, or an equivalent of 1.5 billion pesos.

The amount is on top of the 6 million euros (Php350 million) that their government is giving the Philippines.

“This is a great result. The Dutch people have shown their solidarity. Individual citizens, spontaneously formed groups, companies, sport associations, school classes and churches have contributed,” said Lilianne Ploumen, minister for foreign trade and development cooperation, in a press statement sent by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila.

The embassy said their people responded enthusiastically to a Nov. 18 national call for action for a public fundraising for humanitarian assistance to the Philippines.

“From early morning until midnight, all Dutch broadcasting companies have cooperated to inform the public about the catastrophe that was caused by typhoon Yolanda and to call for funds. Dutch citizens have donated en masse for the victims of Yolanda,” the embassy said.

Aside from the money, a Netherlands DC-10 aircraft transporting tons of  humanitarian aid to Cebu is also expected to arrive at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base at 2 a.m. tomorrow.

It would be the second Dutch military plane to have delivered relief assistance for super typhoon Yolanda victims via Cebu, after a similar aircraft landed in Mactan also at 2 a.m. last Nov. 16.

The 30,000-ton donation last week included plastic canvass, water purifiers, solar lamps, and medical kits, which were donated through Caritas to typhoon victims in Ormoc City and the neighboring areas in Leyte.

The relief goods were placed in two 10-wheeler trucks transported to Leyte by MV Wonderful Star of Robles Shipping.

Caecilia Wijgers of the Netherlands Embassy in Manila accompanied the distribution of the relief assistance.

This Saturday, the items would include communication sets, uninterrupted power supply units, life jackets, medicines and medical references, house kits, and solar lights that would be given to organizations doing relief operations for typhoon victims, particularly the Medicins sans Frontieres.

 â€œWe have friendly relations with the Philippine Government; in line with our emergency foreign policy, we provide in what way we can. That’s what we do,” Wijgers said when asked why the Netherlands is generously pouring in aid to the country.

The Netherlands Red Cross will also send another flight of relief goods through Dubai, with the support of Dutch shipping companies.

The embassy said the “Giro 555” fundraising campaign was organized by their country’s Cooperating Aid Agencies (SHO), which is a partnership of Dutch aid organizations that raise funds together to help victims of major disasters.

The participating non-government organizations NGOs include Oxfam Novib, Terre des Hommes, ICCO Kerk in  Actie, Save the children, Netherlands Red Cross, Care Netherlands UNICEF, Cord aid People in Need, and World Vision.

To raise the P1.5 billion, SHO held various activities involving government offices, disk jockeys, singers, actors, television personalities, sportsmen, artists, as well as hundreds of volunteers.

SHO will use the funds for emergency relief for victims of typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

The money SHO collected is aside from the P350 million the Netherlands government is giving the United Nations and the International Federation of the Red Cross.

Other  Dutch efforts to help the typhoon victims includes 50,000 euros for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from the Netherlands Red Cross; and several experts that joined the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre, United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs missions in the country. (FREEMAN)