UN sends 630 tons of rice to Oro farmers, fisherfolks

By JOEL ESCOL
With Cagayan de Oro City badly hit by the recent flashfloods, the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) is set to deliver a total of 630 tons of rice, reports reaching this paper said yesterday.

The World Food program is the United Nation’s humanitarian relief arm, purposely established to give support to some areas in Mindanao hit by the flashfloods.
The report said the shipment of rice has arrived in Cagayan de Oro since Saturday last week from its Cotabato warehouse, according to a report from Patricia Artadi-Facultad of the UNWFP.

Facultad said another shipment of UN support is also set to de delivered in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte province as people from these areas were also hit by the flashfloods since two weeks ago.

The UNWFP also clarified in a statement the support is intended for farmers and fisherfolks affected by the floods.
"The UN was prompted to extend rice assistance to the four areas after receiving a request from the respective local governments and the Department of Social Welfare and Development," UNWFP country director and Representative Stephen Anderson said in a statement.

Anderson said they have decided to help the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Lanao del Norte after their investigation showed these areas were badly by the recent weather disturbances caused by heavy downpour and strong winds.

A report from the National Disaster Coordinating Council as of 12:00 noon on Saturday showed there were already around 125,400 people from Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City and Lanao del Norte that were affected by the flashflood. Three people were also confirmed dead, the NDCC reported.

City disaster official Emilio Rana told a local radio station here that he is very thankful with the help from the UN’s world food program.

Meanwhile, the Cagayan de Oro bloggers group lead by Chiq Montes also spearheaded a Feeding program for the families affected by the flashfloods in Cagayan de Oro.
As of yesterday, Montes group has already collected more than 100 dollars from the generous bloggers of the internet as well as from his group.

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