UAE sends aid to 40,000 families in earthquake-struck Philippines

Archipelago recovering after scores killed in spate of seismic activity

Cebu Island in the Philippines has been left devastated by the earthquake and aftershocks. EPA

The UAE on Thursday said urgent relief aid has been sent to 40,000 families affected by the deadly earthquake that struck Cebu Island in the Philippines.

The Philippines is still recovering from a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 on September 30 that left at least 74 people dead and displaced thousands in the central province.

Seismic activity has continued, with two powerful offshore earthquakes striking the same region in the southern Philippines only hours apart on Friday.

The humanitarian relief, distributed through the Emirates Aid Agency, was provided under the supervision of the UAE embassy in Manila in co-operation with authorities in the Philippines.

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent because of the country's location on the Pacific Ring of Fire − an arc of seismic faults. It is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and severe storms each year.

Wider efforts

The UAE also allocated $10 million towards a fund to protect the Asia-Pacific region from natural disasters this week.

Announced under the directive of President Sheikh Mohamed through the UAE International Aid Agency, the funding will go to Emirates Nature-WWF to launch the "building community resilience to natural disasters" project.

The first phase will focus on the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands, with the goal of improving living conditions. Priorities are to restore protective natural systems, enhance sustainable sources of income and improve preparedness to reduce the effects of disasters, officials said.

Schemes will include maintaining mangroves and coral reefs, supporting farmers, fishermen and small businesses, and developing early warning systems.