In total, the earthquake affected more than 1,784,258 people.

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has allocated $100,000 from its Disaster Response Fund to launch an emergency humanitarian intervention in response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the Philippines in late July.

Along with the Philippine Red Cross, the Qatari organisation also activated its Disaster Information Management Centre and sent out its field staff to carry out damage assessments.

The immediate humanitarian intervention plan entails the deployment of a food truck to deliver fresh meals and handing food supplies to 500 households, or 2,500 people, who were most negatively impacted by the earthquake.

The earthquake unfolded

A magnitude-7.0 earthquake measuring 15 kilometres in depth unravelled near the province of Abra on the northwest coast of the Philippine island of Luzon at 8:43 AM local time (3:43 AM GMT+3) on 27 July 2022.

Over a 10,000 km2 area, the temblor severely damaged the infrastructure in at least four provinces (about 3,800 square miles).

More than 300 kilometres from the earthquake’s epicentre, in the capital city of Manila, people reported feeling the tremor, causing numerous establishments to put earthquake evacuation plans into place.

Eleven fatalities, 349 injuries, 24,901 partially or completely destroyed homes, and 50,514 evacuees were uncovered, as of the latest statistics from the Philippines.

Estimated damages to infrastructure and agriculture totalling approximately $40,000,000 have also been reported. In total, the earthquake affected more than 1,784,258 people.

The first Arab humanitarian group to work in the Philippines was QRCS, which started its operations there in 2012.

Since then, $5.9 million worth of development and relief assistance has been given in the areas of housing, health care, food security, and non-food items (QAR 21.6 million).