DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for US$21.6 million to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance as well as logistics support for 400,000 people who have been most affected by Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) in the worst-hit areas of  Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, the CARAGA region, and Lanao del Sur.   WFP’s food assistance, which will run until May 2013, complements the government’s ongoing relief and early recovery operations through a single food supply pipeline, jointly managed  with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to ensure  an efficient and coordinated response to food needs on the ground.

 WFP’s assistance will include providing specialised nutritious foods to 80,000 children in the worst-affected areas and 60,000 pregnant and nursing mothers.   “One year after Tropical Storm Washi hit Northern Mindanao, WFP is again deeply saddened by the suffering and destruction caused by Typhoon Bopha.  We are working around the clock in partnership with the Government to ensure a coordinated and effective response to food and other priority humanitarian needs,” said WFP Philippines Representative and Country Director Stephen Anderson.

 The DSWD has requested WFP’s support in setting up two hubs in Davao Oriental and the CARAGA region to help speed up the delivery of humanitarian assistance to communities affected by Typhoon Bopha.     As of Monday 10th December, WFP had already delivered rice and high-energy biscuits for 142,500 people and Ready-to-Use supplementary foods for 26,000 children. Thirty-eight trucks have also been deployed to help local government units deliver relief goods.

   In the coming days, WFP will conduct assessments to provide the government with in-depth information on community food needs in the affected areas.   Over 5.4 million people have been affected since Typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines on December 4.  Nearly 64,000 houses have been damaged, and 370,000 people have been forced to leave their houses. Around 650 people have been confirmed dead, and 780 are still missing. For more information on the WFP’s work in the Philippines, visit http://www.wfp.org/philippines.

“We are deeply impressed with the dedication of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell staff who actively promoted the World Hunger Relief campaign in their restaurants, and in the process raised generous support to help fight hunger,” said WFP Philippines Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson. “We are also grateful that they extended their campaign to seek additional assistance for Tropical Storm Washi survivors.”