<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) announced this Wednesday that it will contribute €400,000 to help the victims of the earthquake that struck the northern part of Cebu Island, in the Philippines, on September 30.</strong></h4> The 6.9 magnitude earthquake caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure and affected more than 170,000 people. Many of them had to be relocated to temporary evacuation centers. More than 700 aftershocks were recorded in the hours following the quake, increasing the risk and vulnerability of the affected communities. According to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, a total of 47,221 families were affected, with thousands of homes left uninhabitable or destroyed. In response to this disaster, AECID has activated its emergency agreement with the NGO Action Against Hunger for €100,000, which is expected to assist 6,500 people through emergency interventions in water, sanitation, and shelter. These actions will ensure access to drinking water and provide temporary housing solutions to the most affected families. In addition, the Agency will contribute €300,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal to support 67,500 vulnerable people (approximately 13,500 families) in the most affected municipalities of Cebu province. This operation will prioritize those who have lost their homes or cannot safely return to them: low-income families, the elderly, pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, and people with disabilities. The objective is to guarantee access to safe shelter, essential items, and psychosocial support to facilitate early recovery. "With these actions, Spain strengthens its commitment to the Philippine population, a country with which it maintains a close relationship of cooperation, and reaffirms its willingness to be present in the most critical moments, when humanitarian aid is most needed," concludes the AECID press release.
