European Union brings relief to the victims of typhoon Doksuri in the Philippines

This additional EU funding will support the Philippine Red Cross in delivering much needed relief assistance, including the provision of medical and first aid services, clean water supplies and hygiene items, as well as food and shelter. This aid is in addition to the €500,000 (approximately 30.3 million PHP) in humanitarian funding which was provided on 29 July to support those initially affected by typhoon Doksuri, and brings the total EU response to the typhoon to over €600,000.

The €100,000 in humanitarian aid will directly benefit approximately 36,300 people who have been heavily affected in the worst hit areas. The funding is part of the EU's contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Typhoon Doksuri, locally known as Egay, made landfalls in the Philippines on 26 July 2023, causing extensive damage and posing a significant threat to lives, homes, and livelihoods. The rapid intensification of Doksuri into a super typhoon with winds of 185 km/h or more led to widespread destruction, heavy rain, flooding, landslides, and loss of life. This is the fifth typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2023.

According to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) 2.4 million people have been affected, with 57,281 individuals displaced and seeking shelter, and 763 active evacuation centres. The official death toll stands at 26, and there were additional incidents of flooding and landslides. The typhoon also resulted in power outages, disrupted access to affected areas, and left certain regions flooded and impassable due to debris and landslides.

Background

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Union is signatory to a €8 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Response Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF.  For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit within its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.

For further information, please contact:

Mallika Panorat, Regional Information and Communication Assistant for Asia and the Pacific, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO): mallika.panorat@echofield.eu