UN appeals for more Haiyan aid

MANILA — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging the international community to ramp up aid for the Philippines’ typhoon reconstruction, saying “we must not allow this to be another forgotten crisis.”

He met today (Dec 22) with key ambassadors stationed in the Philippines and urged donor countries to provide more aid in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the central Philippines on Nov 8, killing at least 6,100 people.

The UN is raising US$791 million (S$1 billion) for a year-long recovery plan. The Philippine government has separately launched an US$8.17 billion reconstruction drive over four years.

Mr Ban told reporters at the end of his three-day visit that the UN stands firmly with the Philippine efforts to improve preparedness and resilience to natural disasters. AP