Following the onslaught of typhoon Odette, the European Union and its Member States have allocated and delivered rapidly more than € 2.83 million (PHP 160.69 million) worth of humanitarian assistance to the Philippines. This funding (as of December 23, 2021) will cover mainly immediate needs through the provision of food, drinking water, shelter and other urgently needed household items.
This initial assistance is on top of important contributions of the EU and its Member States to the emergency funds of multilateral humanitarian institutions that have responded to the needs created by the typhoon. Some other Member State are redirecting funding or contributing to those institutions.
The EU Delegation and Member States’ embassies, as well as European leaders have expressed their condolences for the tragic loss of lives and pledged support to assist the hard-hit areas. The assistance mobilized is a reaffirmation of the commitment to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people during these trying times.
Copernicus Technology: Free use of satellite maps
Aside from the emergency assistance provided for in the Philippines, the Emergency and Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission has been closely monitoring the situation. The Centre through the EU Delegation to the Philippines has offered to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Department of Science and Technology, free of charge satellite maps of the affected areas by using the EU Copernicus Emergency Management Services for Rapid Mapping.
The maps can show a delineation of the damage or an assessment of the destruction.
The ERCC has been coordinating with UNOSAT and is proposing to provide complementary satellite imagery in Cebu Airport, low lying urban areas of Cebu, Puerto Princesa City and its international airport selected based on the following criteria: being hit by strong winds, densely populated and isolated or hard to reach.
