ShelterBoxes are sheltering people in the Philippines

Media Release

19th November 2013

ShelterBoxes are sheltering people in the Philippines left homeless and devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

It's hard to imagine where to begin with getting vital supplies to men, women and children without shelter or access to food and water in the Philippines.

Supported by Rotary Clubs from around the world, one organisation is sending practical survival kits for those in need.

ShelterBox New Zealand  spokesman Mike Cahill said, “We have a mammoth aid task on hand, we're an international disaster relief organisation and  we aim to provide shelter, warmth and dignity for people who have lost their homes due to natural or manmade disasters.

"At the moment we're also working in Syria and the surrounding countries helping Syrian refugees.  We are also monitoring the Tornado damage in the USA.

"When the Super Typhoon struck ShelterBox was already in the Philippines in Bohol province, providing shelter to homeless families after the 7.2 earthquake that hit Bohol on 15th October”.

ShelterBox Response Teams who were working in Bohol are now busy expanding their operations using pre-positioned stocks, providing tents and other essential equipment for families left homeless after Typhoon Haiyan. Haiyan was the second category 5 typhoon to strike the Philippines this year. Mr Cahill said,” reports coming back from our experienced disaster response team members who have seen the likes of the Haiti earthquake and the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami say this is the worse devastation they've ever seen”.

"The Philippines is very unlucky in that it seems to be a very disaster prone country and because of that we always have aid pre-positioned there, pretty much all of that aid was already distributed after the earthquake, so now we have other stocks on route from storage sites in Dubai and  600 boxes stored in Melbourne have already been sent  to Manila and more aid is on the way from our International headquarters in the UK."

Inside each ShelterBox is a relief tent designed to house an extended family, blankets, ground sheets, water purification equipment, water storage, a stove for cooking, kitchen sets, a tool kit and even a children's activity pack.

"The cornerstone of the aid package is a relief tent, which is made especially for ShelterBox and is designed to house an extended family. The tents, which are very well constructed, are wind proof up to 130km, UV treated, so they'll last at least 6-12 months in full sunshine and are waterproofed to withstand tropical storms."

Each ShelterBox is designed to help families who lose everything when disaster strikes. They provide emergency shelter, literally, and other lifesaving equipment and tools that help bring self-sufficiency and survival to the most immediate and needy of recovery efforts. They even contain a Children’s activity pack to keep them occupied.

A massive effort to deploy more boxes is now currently underway, charities and  other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world are responding to this disaster. Many like ShelterBox are already providing aid and you too can help them make a difference.

ShelterBox is a Project Partner of Rotary International and the World President Ron D. Burton, is urging the humanitarian organization's 1.2 million members of its 34,000 Rotary clubs worldwide to assist victims of Typhoon Haiyan in any way possible, including contributing to ShelterBox, said,

"This disaster is exactly why we entered into our partnership with ShelterBox, It gives concerned Rotary members the opportunity to respond immediately and in a very meaningful way to the life-threatening conditions faced by the people of the Philippines."

Please help to support the work currently underway in the Philippines either online or by donating on the ShelterBox website at: www.shelterbox.org.nz/donate.php

Link to our Typhoon Haiyan Appeal:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XEUKrSqwZE

About Shelterbo

Since 2000, ShelterBox has provided shelter, warmth and dignity following more than 200 disasters in over 90 countries worldwide. The charity has provided shelter for more than 130,000 families in desperate need. Supported by Rotary International, ShelterBox instantly responds to earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, tsunami or conflict by delivering boxes of aid and other vital supplies.

Each iconic green ShelterBox contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, stove, blankets and water filtration system, among other tools for survival. ShelterBox New Zealand is administered by the Rotary Club of Mosgiel Charitable Trust based in Mosgiel, New Zealand and its goal is to help 50,000 each year.  www.shelterbox.org.nz

ENDS

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