Trudy Allen, the British ex-pat in the Philippines whose email we published on this blog, has raised concerns about articles in the British press concerning the aid being sent to the Philippines.
These articles have alleged that supplies for the survivors have turned up in shops hundreds of miles away and other supplies are not being distributed.
Trudy says that there has been no physical evidence to support these claims and many allegations are based on rumours. She asks where the photographic evidence is, and if there are records that support such claims.
She also says, worryingly, that such sensationalist reporting (which may or may not be partly fuelled by political agendas in the Philippines) will damage the long-term efforts of both Filippinos and the agencies tasked with helping them, to recover from Yolanda.
Another commentator has drawn attention to the words of Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman who denies these reports and says that all aid has been accounted for. She said the donations from the UK were not food, but other items, such as shelters, all of which have been assigned to NGOs.
Do you want to help?
Here's what you can do:
- Donate through the Disasters Emergency Committee - there are other organisations which will get aid there too, but the DEC is the standard for UK donations.
- Volunteer through Kaya Responsible Travel - this is the only CBS-approved organisation with a dedicated Philippines clean-up operation requiring UK volunteers.
- Don't believe everything you read.
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