At a press conference in Manila on Wednesday, PRC chairman Richard Gordon said that after the initial emergency response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Red Crescent Movement (RCM) would prioritize building permanent homes for the survivors of the killer typhoon.
He said the houses they are planning to build will be “better” as each will be erected away from danger zones and can withstand winds of up to 250kph. The PRC, which Gordon leads, is ICRC’s chapter in the Philippines.
Officials of the ICRC and the RCM met Wednesday to discuss future support for typhoon victims.
Also at the meeting in Manila, PRC’s secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang told reporters the two international aid organizations are set to rebuild some 50,000 houses; repair 70,000 more damaged homes; and relocate 5,000 families away from areas now considered as danger zones.
She said the funds for rebuilding and repairs will be sourced from the 300 million Swiss francs raised for the Yolanda survivors.
On the other hand, Gordon said 45 percent of the total funds raised will be for the housing project in Yolanda-affected areas. — Amanda Fernandez /LBG, GMA News
