Press Release

OPEC Fund extends US$150,000 grant for mudslide victims in the Philippines

05/2006 February 22, 2006, Vienna, Austria
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The OPEC Fund for International Development has approved a grant of US$150,000 to provide relief supplies for victims of a massive mudslide that struck the Philippines last week. At least 90 people have been confirmed dead, and the final death toll could reach up to 1,000.

Torrential rains deluged Southern Leyte Island with around 200 cm (79 inches) of water in only 10 days, triggering a massive landslide that buried Guinsaugon village in St. Bernard Town under 30 meters (100 feet) of mud. Continuing rainfall is hampering rescue efforts, and thousands of people in high-risk areas have been evacuated. An estimated 3,000 will be displaced as a result of this landslide.

The Philippine National Red Cross Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are coordinating rescue operations with other NGOs in the disaster zone. Immediate needs include bottled water, food supplies, trauma kits, generators and plastic sheeting, as well as communications equipment and transport vehicles. In addition to the IFRC’s allocation of around US$151,000, other donors include the UN Organization for Humanitarian Affairs, the US Agency for International Development, the Danish Red Cross, the Australian Agency for International Development and the government of Ireland.

The OPEC Fund's contribution to the aid effort will be used to procure essential relief supplies and help finance emergency operations and will be channeled through the IFRC.