MANILA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is extending P17 million cash assistance to 6,700 families or roughly 33,000 people affected by Typhoon Ruby (local name: Ruby), in close partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Through DSWD’s social safety net program called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), WFP has provided a one-time add-on amount of P2,600 each to the most affected households in the municipalities of Can-Avid, Dolores, Jipapad, and Taft in Eastern Samar. The cash distribution to affected households will begin this February.
“We truly admire the resilience of the people of Eastern Samar as they rebuild after Hagupit. We hope that with this cash support, families will be able to meet their daily food requirements and have access to a variety of nutritious food available in the local market,” said WFP Philippines Country Director ad interim Martin Bettelley.
“When these areas got hit by ‘Hagupit’, they were actually still trying to recover after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged them just a year ago. So, this cash to be given to our partner-beneficiaries on top of the regular cash grants they receive will definitely be able to help them get back on their feet again and assist them in restoring what they lost during these disasters,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman shared.
Aside from cash support, at the onset of ‘Hagupit’, DSWD and WFP also provided food assistance in Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Western Samar.
Typhoon Hagupit was one of the strongest typhoons to pass through the Philippines in 2014, which affected four million people. It slowly passed through the country and caused P5 billion worth of damages in infrastructure and agriculture. ###
About WFP
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, on average, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.
Website: http://www.wfp.org/countries/philippines/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WFP.Philippines
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wfp_philippines