Key messages
• The European Commission has provided €20 million to help those affected by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda): €10 million in humanitarian aid to support emergency relief operations and €10 million to assist with recovery and rehabilitation.
• A team of European Commission's humanitarian experts was deployed to the worst hit areas within hours after the cyclone and has conducted a first needs assessment to ensure that funding reaches the most vulnerable. EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva travelled to the Philippines to ascertain the impact of the cyclone and discuss with national authorities and European experts working on the ground.
• Priority is to restore access to the devastated areas and to deliver urgent life saving assistance such as food, shelter, water, sanitation and primary healthcare. Emergency logistics, including transport and telecommunications, are a priority too.
• The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance offered to the Philippine government by the EU Member States. This includes both urgently needed experts such as search and rescue teams and doctors as well as material such as water purification units and field hospitals.