Press Release – 28th September 2018
Working with our partner Humanity First, a consignment of 250 Aquaboxes left our depot on Friday 28th September bound for the Philippines to help those affected by the severe flooding and landslides caused by the recent Typhoon Mangkhut. The category 5 typhoon hit the northern end of the Philippine island of Luzon, which is the largest and most populous island in the country, on 15th September, with high winds ripping roofs off houses and pulling down trees and electricity pylons, and the rains causing fatal landslides and flooding. More than 5 million people were in its path.
The death toll has risen to nearly 100, with the heaviest casualties in the Benguet province, where many people were killed and dozens more are still missing, feared to have been trapped by landslides in remote villages. The island of Luzon is also a key agricultural area in the Philippines, producing most of the country’s rice, corn and other vegetable crops, which have been ruined a month before harvest, damaging the livelihoods of thousands in the region.
There is an urgent need to help those affected and each Aquabox is designed for a family, containing over 70 humanitarian aid items in addition to an AquaFilter Family unit for providing safe drinking water. Also included in our boxes are shelter materials and tools, sheets and blankets, cooking utensils, personal hygiene items, baby and children’s clothing, educational items and children’s toys. A further shipment of 10 Community Filters and 240 Family Filters will be dispatched in early October. Access to clean safe drinking water is urgently required to prevent the risk of disease spreading as the water supplies become contaminated.
We rely totally on donations and the generosity of our supporters to be able to continue our work and provide humanitarian aid to those in need in times of crisis. If your company, organisation or club would like to organise a fundraising event and needs any help or advice, please contact Aquabox by email at enquiries@aquabox.org or call 01629 825178.
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About Aquabox:
Aquabox is a charity affiliated to Rotary International and is based in Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Established in 1992, Aquabox has shipped over 110,000 boxes of humanitarian aid and filters to provide safe drinking water to communities affected by man-made and natural disasters in more than 50 countries around the world. The charity relies entirely on donations and fundraising to purchase the aid boxes and their contents. With over 70 volunteers and only one part-time paid administrator, the proportion of donations contributing directly to humanitarian aid is amongst the highest achievable. Aquabox received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in June 2016, in recognition of the contribution made by the charity and its volunteers and many supporters in helping those in need at times of crisis.