OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/13/12 -- Today, the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Cooperation, announced that Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), is providing additional humanitarian assistance to those affected by Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines.

"Canada is responding to the increasing needs of the Philippine people as they face the alarming devastation caused by the typhoon," said Minister Fantino. "We are helping families survive by providing critical humanitarian assistance."

The full impact of Typhoon Bopha (locally named Pablo), which struck Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines on December 4, 2012, is becoming apparent as needs assessments are completed. Philippines authorities report 5.4 million people have been affected, leaving hundreds of thousands seeking help in evacuation centres.

Canada, through CIDA, is providing support for delivering humanitarian assistance to approximately 480,000 affected people in urgent need of food, safe drinking water, and emergency shelter to the United Nations World Food Programme, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), and the International Organization for Migration.

The Government of Canada will continue to monitor the situation to ensure humanitarian needs are met and provide further assistance if required.

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Backgrounder

Canada provides additional response to Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines

The full impact of Typhoon Bopha is becoming apparent. As of December 11, 2012, authorities in the Philippines reported that more than 700 people were confirmed dead, close to 900 people are still missing, and more than 1,900 people are injured as a result of the storm. The total population in the affected area is 5.4 million people, with close to 770,000 people seeking assistance. Initial estimates by the Philippines government state that Typhoon Bopha has damaged more than 130,000 houses and approximately 26,160 hectares of standing crops

Today's announcement will provide support to the following organizations for urgently needed food, safe drinking water, emergency shelter and other assistance to approximately 480,000 affected people in the worst hit areas:

--  United Nations World Food Programme will provide access to emergency
    food assistance to reduce the vulnerability of crisis-affected people,
    especially women and children; ($700,000) 

--  UNICEF will provide emergency water, sanitation and hygiene assistance;
    ($350,000) 

--  International Organization for Migration will provide emergency shelters
    and camp support, including coordination and management, for people
    displaced as a result of the typhoon. ($700,000) 

On December 6, 2012, Canada provided $250,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to support the Philippine Red Cross in assisting approximately 50,000 people affected by the typhoon.

To date, Canada has allocated $2 million to address the emergency needs of those affected by the impact of Typhoon Bopha in Mindanao, Philippines.

International Humanitarian Assistance

CIDA, through its International Humanitarian Assistance Program, aims to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain the dignity of those affected by conflicts and natural disasters by providing appropriate, timely, and effective responses.

For more information, please visit the CIDA website.