Relief Ops in Six E. Visayas Provinces Continue

A total of 104,365 family food packs; 25,083 sacks of 50-kilogram rice; 3,680 boxes of noodles; 416 boxes of coffee; and, 58 sacks of bottled water have been delivered, as of today, by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as augmentation assistance to the Typhoon-Ruby hit provinces in Eastern Visayas.

These are Eastern Samar which received 9,850 sacks of 50-kg rice, 50 boxes of canned goods, 48,600 food packs, 416 boxes of noodles, and 16 boxes of coffee; Northern Samar which got 2,600 and 3,680 sacks of 50- and 6-kg rice, and 29,600 food packs; Samar which got 5,045 sacks of 50-kg rice; Leyte including Tacloban City which received 6,575 sacks of 50-kg rice, 80 boxes of canned goods, 23,665 food packs, 42 boxes of coffee, and 30 sacks of bottled water; Biliran with 510 sacks of 50-kg rice; and, Southern Leyte with 488 sacks of 50-kg rice and 2,500 food packs.

On top of these, another 30,000 food packs from DSWD-Field Office XI were delivered to the towns of Oras, San Policarpio, Dolores, Arteche, Maslog, Guiuan, Mercedes, Salcedo, Lawaana, and Sulat.

Likewise, a total of 24,000 food packs from CARAGA have arrived in Northern Samar today.

DSWD-Field Office VIII received from The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 125 units of ridge tents, 60 rolls of plastic tarpaulins and 60 bales of fleece thermal blankets to be delivered to the municipalities of Dolores, Oras, and San Policarpo, all in Eastern Samar.

To date, 837 evacuation centers remain open in Eastern and Northern Samar, Samar, and Biliran providing temporary shelter to 95,119 families or 468,954 persons. The evacuation centers in Leyte and Southern Leyte were closed this morning. (DSWD)