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Minister Paradis Extends Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund

The magnitude of the destruc­tion across many regions of the Philippines is nearly impossible  to com­prehend,” said Minis­ter Paradis. “I am truly proud to have wit­nessed the compas­sion and dedication shown by Canadian humanitar­ian workers who have travelled to the Philippines to help those in the worst of circumstances.”

Minister Paradis visited some of the hardest-hit areas of the coun­try. In Ormoc, he toured the Ca­nadian Red Cross field hospital, which is working closely with local hospital staff and other emergen­cy health care providers to ensure that more than 100,000 people have access to a wide variety of essential health services, includ­ing surgery, medicine, maternal and child care, and outpatient services. The Minister also met with members of Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which has been deployed to Roxas City to contribute to re­lief efforts by providing clean wa­ter, medical assistance and logis­tical support.

“From the onset of this trag­edy, Canada has played a leader­ship role in providing humanitar­ian assistance where it is needed most,” added Minister Paradis. “As we approach Christmas, I encourage Canadians to keep donating to registered Canadian charities, and our government will match eligible donations, dol­lar-for-dollar, right up to Decem­ber 23, 2013.”

While in the Philippines, Min­ister Paradis also met with local government and United Nations officials, as well as with Canadian non-governmental and interna­tional humanitarian organiza­tions, to discuss the ongoing challenges in delivering humani­tarian assistance on the ground. The typhoon and subsequent storm surges have severely dam­aged local infrastructure, includ­ing roads, ports, and airports, which is impeding access to many areas.

Backgrounder
Canada’s response to Typhoon Hai­yan
The Government of Canada has taken decisive action to provide emergency relief to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. These measures include:

In addition, Canada will be prioritizing the processing of Filipino applications on request from those who are significantly and personally affected by Typhoon Hai­yan. Requests from Filipino citizens who are temporarily in Canada and wish to ex­tend their stay will be assessed in a com­passionate and flexible manner. Canadi­ans without travel documents as a result of the typhoon will have their applications expedited by the Canadian Embassy in Manila.

Prime Minister Harper also spoke with Benigno Aquino III, President of the Re­public of the Philippines, on November 11, to extend his heartfelt condolences to the people of the Philippines, and to ofer sup­port to the Government of the Philippines in the aftermath of the natural disaster.

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