• First phase of rebuilding and rehabilitation have kicked off in January.
• More projects are being identified to meet victims’ needs.

Singapore, 8 February 2014 – Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has raised more than S$10 million in donations, three months after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in central Philippines.

An initial sum of approximately $750,000 was disbursed during the emergency response phase in December while up to S$2.5 million of the total funds collected has been committed to the first batch of rebuilding and rehabilitation projects in the current recovery phase. These projects will benefit numerous communities in several provinces affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The remaining fund will be committed to additional projects in the coming months.

The first batch of Rebuilding and Rehabilitation Projects include:

1) Bantayan Island (Cebu) – commenced in January 2014

Distribution of shelter materials (zinc sheets and umbrella nails) and jerry cans as well as construction of six community water filtration systems. These projects will benefit the entire island’s population of 200,000.

The following projects, commencing from February 2014 are:

2) Busuanga Island (Palawan)

Reconstruction and/or construction of three health stations, enhancement and equipping of one medical centre, provision of two ambulances and improvement of three community water supply systems, reconstruction of three schools as well as rebuilding livelihoods (agriculture). These projects will benefit Busuanga’s 22,000 residents.

3) Leyte Island

Rehabilitation of a Day Care Centre, distribution of shelter material (zinc sheets and pegs), back-to-school programme which focuses on stationeries and nutrition, livelihood projects through microcredit programmes, and the construction of a school. These projects will benefit more than 2,000 people.

4) Iloilo

Made famous by acclaimed producer Anthony Chen, SRC will focus on rehabilitating two schools in Iloilo. This project will benefit 1,000 students.

Meanwhile, SRC teams are continuing its assessments in the affected regions. New projects are being identified to meet these needs. One team is currently visiting Bantayan, Ormoc and Iloilo to follow up on projects already initiated as well as identifying further needs. The team arrived in the Philippines on 5 February and will be there until 17 February. From 11 to 13 February, another team led by Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General of SRC, will attend a Red Cross Movement meeting in Manila to discuss the Movement’s reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts following Typhoon Haiyan.

“As always, SRC is actively working with our partners in Singapore and Philippines to identify and implement projects that will benefit the most vulnerable directly. Our projects will have direct and long term impacts on the communities affected by the disaster. Some of the building and construction have begun and we hope that, eventually, we will have projects in all the provinces affected by the typhoon. In addition, our projects leverage on existing expertise and knowledge such as education, water and sanitation, and healthcare,” said Mr William.

“Since the launch of our appeal, we have received overwhelming response from the people of Singapore, whose compassion and solidarity has made a difference in the devastated communities and facilitated the rebuilding process. Our Red Cross Youth and volunteers will also participate actively in the implementation of some of our future projects,” said Mr William.

“On behalf of SRC, I thank each and everyone for their continuous support for the typhoon-stricken communities in Philippines. We assure them that all the money collected will be used effectively and efficiently to directly impact the lives of the families affected by this disaster as well as to help restore and rebuild their lives,” Mr William added.

*The Typhoon Haiyan Appeal is now closed. Funds raised through this appeal has been and will continue to be used to:

• provide emergency relief, rehabilitation and recovery assistance to communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan
• to deploy missions to assist in initial assessments, relief, recovery and longer term disaster management operations; and
• support the work of our Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in both rehabilitation and longer term community resilience programmes in the affected areas.

For any public appeals, the Singapore Red Cross will not deduct more than 5% of the funds raised to cover appeal costs. Should the funds raised exceed the amount required to meet the immediate and rehabilitation needs of the people in the affected areas, Singapore Red Cross will direct the excess funds to other emergency preparedness and/or community programmes initiatives for disaster affected communities.