The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will continue efforts to provide more support for post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation needs of communities affected by typhoon Haiyan (locally called Yolanda) last November, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh has said.

During the ASEAN High-Level Conference on Assistance for the Recovery of Yolanda-Affected Areas (ARYA) held in Taguig city of the Philippines on August 14, Minh called on the international community to join hands with the association in assisting the Philippines Government in recovering regions that were hard hit by the disaster.

Philippine media quoted the ASEAN leader as saying that the grouping will con t inue to work with governments, United Nations institutions and private sectors on mobilising assistance for the country’s recovery efforts.

He called on the bloc’s partner countries and relevant sides to join its initiative, which aims to mobilise financial and technical assistance for the Philippines .

Panfilo Lacson, the Philippine Government’s Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation, also called for more support from the international community, saying that multilateral assistance is a key to the recovery of Haiyan-affected areas.

In November 2013, super typhoon Haiyan hit seven regions of the Philippines , killing 6,300 people and severely affecting 1.4 million families.

According to Lacson, his government needs 171 billion peso (nearly 4 billion USD) to overcome the aftermaths of the disaster.-VNA