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Belgian charities jump to the aid of typhoon victims

13:50 14/11/2013

The Belgian first aid and support team B-Fast has arrived in Tacloban in the Philippines, one of the areas hardest hit by typhoon Haiyan, and been reunited with its material. The 30-strong team originally arrived in the area without materials, which had to be transferred to a freight ship after the team's Airbus was unable to land.

B-Fast was one of the first relief agencies to arrive in the area and immediately set about organising an electricity supply. Today the team was due to begin constructing a field hospital, while others organised food and water for survivors.

A consortium of NGOs has launched an account number for donations for disaster relief for the victims of the typhoon. Caritas International, Handicap International, Oxfam Solidariteit, Unicef België and Doctors of the World have adopted the campaign name Haiyan 21-21, and donations can be made to BE17 0000 0000 2121. Both the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders have their own appeals and account numbers.

The UN has launched an aid campaign of €224 million. “It is not yet clear how much effort will be asked of the Belgian divisions,” said consortium chair Erik Todts. “But people are very willing to donate for natural disasters because they feel directly concerned. For flooding in Pakistan in the summer of 2010, we collected more than €7 million, but for Syria 12-12, only just over €3 million.”

Media organisations VRT, VMMa and SBS have jointly produced a campaign to raise funds for Haiyan 21-21, which will be shown on all channels.

At least one Belgian, 53-year-old Alex Cordero, is missing and presumed dead. Cordero lived and worked in Tacloban with his wife and their two children. According to the foreign affairs ministry, no information is yet available on the condition of some 86 other Belgians living in the area. The Belgian consulate in Manila has been reinforced by consular staff from Jakarta.

www.1212.be/nl

Written by Alan Hope