The United Nations and the European Union have pledged to support the Philippine government's response to help communities devastated by super Typhoon Rolly on Sunday.
In a statement, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez conveyed to the Philippine government the readiness and willingness of the humanitarian community to support its efforts.
“We have not waited for the landfall of this typhoon to mobilize our humanitarian teams and take action,” Gonzalez said.
“UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs are already working with relevant government departments and offices, Philippine Red Cross, and with private sector groups to coordinate our efforts to support the conduct of rapid needs assessments and swiftly assist the most vulnerable people caught in the typhoon’s destructive path,” the UN official added.
In a Twitter post, the EU said it will extend assistance for the government’s recovery efforts following the onslaught of super Typhoon Rolly.
"Our solidarity with the Filipino people as typhoon #RollyPh batters the country, particularly Bicol region. The resiliency, strength, and courage of the Filipinos will persevere in these trying times," the EU said.
According to Gonzalez, the humanitarian agencies are conducting assessments of the humanitarian impact of the typhoon Rolly, including in the most affected areas, in coordination with the government while observing all movement restrictions and safety protocols in place due to COVID-19.
It noted that the Philippine Red Cross emergency response teams are also supporting the authorities in search and rescue efforts and in providing immediate relief to hard-hit communities as the disaster unfolds.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is doing impact assessments, while International Organization for Migration (IOM) is providing support to the authorities in the management of evacuation centers, the UN said.
The World Food Program has already received a request for logistical support to food distributions, it added.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said more than two million individuals from 12 regions had been affected by the typhoon.
At least 10 were killed and three were reported missing, which number could have been higher if local governments did not enforce preemptive evacuation in areas to be affected by the super typhoon.
