philippines

The top United Nations official in Asia and the Pacific and the leader of the Philippines today discussed how the country is coping in the aftermath of a series of deadly storms, as well as the region’s response to the ongoing financial crisis.

The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) begins a three-day visit to the Philippines tomorrow to get a first-hand look at the impact of the devastating floods that have affected more than seven million people.

The crisis in the Philippines in the aftermath of two devastating storms that recently hit the country is not over, the United Nations humanitarian chief said today, as he appealed once again to donors to support the relief and recovery efforts.

The top United Nations emergency relief official arrived in the Philippines today, pledging full cooperation after two successive storms affected over 6 million people, killing more than 500 and displacing scores of thousands of others, and caused crop damage estimated at over $160 million.

United Nations agencies are mobilizing to provide longer-term recovery aid to a raft of countries in Asia and the Pacific, where a relentless barrage of tropical storms, earthquakes and tsunamis have hit millions of people in recent days.

The United Nations is ramping up its relief operations in flood-stricken South-East Asia, appealing for donor support and rushing food to southern Laos where some 250,000 people have been hit by typhoon-spawned rain that have already affected an estimated 3 million in the Philippines.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is expanding its relief operation to help hundreds of thousands of flood victims in the Philippines who are trying to cope with the effects of last week’s devastating typhoon.

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom has condemned the killing of a Filipino radio journalist, who was shot dead by two masked gunmen last week.