373 Filipinos in Sudan Receive Food Care Packs from the PH Embassy in Cairo
Filipino beneficiaries in Sudan (Photo courtesy of IOM Sudan)
CAIRO 29 December 2020 — The Philippine Embassy in Cairo in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate in Khartoum and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sudan, distributed food care packs for 373 Filipinos in Sudan from 24 to 27 December 2020.
The Embassy, Consulate and IOM Sudan partnered with several Filipino community leaders in Sudan, in the identification of beneficiaries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with reduced salaries and work benefits, students, senior citizens and those who lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic.
The Philippine Consulate in Khartoum, under the leadership of Mr. Tarig El-Nefeidi, Consul, ad honorem of the Philippines to Sudan, arranged the procurement and distribution of food care packs, which included rice, flour, sugar, canned fish, cooking oil, hand sanitizers, etc.
The team of Mr. Priyantha Kulatunge, Programme Officer of the IOM Sudan Migrants Response Resource Center (MRRC), coordinated with the Filipino community leaders on the schedule of delivery of food care packs in areas of Khartoum where most Filipinos reside, Amarat, Bahri, Kober, Arkaweet, and in the universities.
Upon receiving his food pack, Mr. Abdulhamid Salipada, a Filipino student in the International University in Khartoum, said, “Napakalaking tulong ito para sa amin, lalo na sa mga panahong ito. Patunay lamang ito na malaki ang malasakit ng gobyerno sa amin, at nararamdaman naming ang pagkakaisa, pagdadamayan at pagtutulungan nating mga Pilipino. Salamat sa gobyerno at sa lahat ng nagpagod upang maipamahagi ang tulong na ito.”
Another beneficiary, Doreen, a Filipino community leader, said, “The food support is so helpful for our community at this time of the year. Christmas is indeed a time of giving and we feel truly happy that our community receives support at such a difficult time. We already set up our Christmas tree and we wish everyone in Sudan happy holidays.”
Mr. Kulantunge of IOM Sudan said, “The socioeconomic impact of the pandemic is more devastating than the disease itself. Many families have suffered, lost their jobs, got stranded, and their livelihoods have been affected. The support provided by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo to the Filipino community in Sudan provides comfort and relief for the families and students.”
The food care packs or ayuda, is one the Philippine government’s response to affected overseas Filipinos as the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, the Philippine Embassy in Cairo has already distributed more than one thousand six hundred food bags to members of the Filipino community in Egypt, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan.
The Philippine Embassy and Consulate also express their appreciation for the contribution and assistance extended by IOM Sudan to ensure the success of the food packs distribution to the affected Filipinos.
Since the beginning of 2020, the MRRC has extended numerous support to the Filipino communities, including medical assistance to 40 Filipinos, community awareness and guidelines on COVID-19 prevention measures. IOM Sudan also distributed food packs for 567 Filipinos, and facilitated the repatriation of 23 Filipinos affected and stranded because of COVID-19, through its Assistant Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.
IOM Sudan is one of the Embassy’s partners in ensuring the well-being and protection of overseas Filipinos. The Embassy looks forward to the continuing cooperation with IOM in building the capacity of the Filipino community in combatting human trafficking, welfare assistance and migrant community empowerment. END
Filipino beneficiaries in Sudan (Photo courtesy of IOM Sudan)
IOM Sudan support team (Photo courtesy of IOM Sudan)
Filipino beneficiaries in Sudan (Photo courtesy of IOM Sudan)
For more information, visit https://www.cairope.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinEgypt/.