Statement on Typhoon Hagupit by Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management

I follow with concern the movement of Typhoon Hagupit toward the Philippines. The landfall is foreseen for this weekend and the impact cannot be predicted, but we at the European Commission are keeping the people of the Philippines in our thoughts and hoping that the impact will be less powerful than a year ago when Typhoon Haiyan left a devastating imprint on the country.

Immense efforts have been invested in disaster preparedness work in the Philippines in the past year, and the population is more aware of the need for a timely evacuation from coastal areas. Let me commend the Philippines authorities who have taken swift measures and did an excellent job in relocating people from the exposed areas at the first signs of the storm approaching.

We are also doing our part. The European Commission is dispatching a team of humanitarian experts to the Philippines to support the response and to help assess potential needs for assistance. The Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels is closely monitoring the situation and is liaising with humanitarian organisations on the ground to ensure a coordinated approach in case the needs emerge.

The Philippines are not alone as they brace up for a possible hardship. The EU supported the emergency response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of last year's super-typhoon Haiyan and we will again do our best to assist those who need our help.

For More Information

Map of Tropical Cyclone Hagupit

http://erccportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ERCMaps/ECDM_20141205_Philippines_HAGUPIT.pdf

Factsheet - The Philippines

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/philippines_en.pdf

STATEMENT/14/2423

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