Help arrives in Tacloban

Rapid Response Team from the United States Marines Corps disembarking relief goods at Villamor Airbase

11 November 2013

The Philippines throught its Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has received offers of help from 22 countries for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the victims of typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest storm to hit the Philippines to date.

Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said the offers of assistance are in the form of:

    deployment of search-and-rescue teams and medical personnel;
     provision of relief goods, such as food, water, tents, and blankets,among others;
    provision of medical supplies and vaccine;
    deployment of ships and aircrafts; and
    cash donations

The countries that have made offers of assistance include:

    Australia – financial aid
    Belgium – medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
    Canada – financial aid; in-kind donations
    Denmark – financial aid
    Finland – in-kind donations
    Germany – in-kind donations, medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
    Hungary – medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
    Indonesia – in-kind donations
    Israel – medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
     Japan – medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
    Malaysia – medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel, supplies
    The Netherlands – financial aid
    New Zealand – financial aid
    Norway – financial aid
    Russia – medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
    Singapore – financial aid
    Spain – in-kind donations
    Sweden – financial aid
    Turkey – in-kind donations, medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel
    United Arab Emirates – financial aid
    United Kingdom – financial aid
   United States of America – financial aid, deployment of ships and aircrafts, medics/ rapid response team (RRT)/ search & rescue/personnel

The United States of America has deployed Four Ospreys, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 and three KC-130J Hercules assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 to help the Philippines in conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.