UN appeals for $46.8-M aid for Phl quake victims

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations is eyeing to put up US$46.8 million for the victims of the magnitue-7.2 earthquake that struck Central Visayas last week.

In a report by the Philippine News Agency, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said that together with humanitarian partners they are appealing for the fund for the acute needs of the quake victims in the country.

The report said that the fund will be used for relief efforts aligned with the Philippine government's priorities, including emergency shelter for the nearly 400,000 people displaced by the earthquake.

Part of the fund will also be used for debris removal and life-saving interventions.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has confirmed more than 200 fatalities and more than three million people affected by the earthquake that struck last October 15.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that people urgently require temporary and transitional shelters.

"Providing relief to the people who most need it requires cooperation and coordination with the local and national authorities, who are leading this response," it said in a statement.