MANILA, July 5 — The Korean embassy here has donated PHP5 million to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for the benefit of those affected by the armed conflict in Marawi City.
“This donation is very timely,” PRC chair and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon, said as he thanked Korean Ambassador Kim Jae-Shin during the turnover ceremony held at the PRC Tower in Mandaluyong City Wednesday.
Gordon (second from left in photo) said the donation will go a long way in enhancing the delivery of aid to the Marawi evacuees.
Ambassador Kim Jae Shin (left in photo) meanwhile lauded the PRC for being “a very organized and efficient organization”, saying this was what prompted them to course the donation to the agency.
According to Gordon, the PRC will use the donation to put up portalets and decent showers that have guards for the security of the evacuees, as well as to provide clean drinking water, tents, jerry cans, and shoes, among others.
He said they will also provide psychosocial support and child-friendly spaces.
They will likewise coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on how to use the PRC’s newly acquired vessel, Amazing Grace, to deliver relief goods to the evacuees, Gordon said.
According to the social welfare department’s Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DREAMB), as of June 27, some 82,767 families or 403,052 persons have been affected by the clashes between government forces and elements of the terrorist Maute Group who have laid siege to Marawi City since May 23. The crisis has so far affected all 96 barangays in Marawi City, as well as 20 other municipalities in Lanao del Sur and two municipalities in Lanao del Norte. (LSJ/PNA)
