BASF donates €300,000 to Philippines appeal

Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, swept through six central Philippine islands last Friday.

It brought sustained winds of 235km/h, with gusts of 275 km/h, with waves as high as 15m, bringing up to 400mm of rain in places.

Official figures estimate that just under 3,000 people have been killed by the storm, but aid agencies fear the death toll may be as high as 10,000. The agencies are struggling to cope with the scale of the disaster, and with food and water in short supply looting has broken out in a number of areas.

All employees of BASF and BASF sites in the Philippines are safe

BASF vice chairman Martin Brudermüller

BASF today announced its board of executive directors had agreed that the firm would contribute €300,000 to relief efforts in the Philippines.

The firm’s charitable foundation BASF Stiftung will support the disaster relief activities of two international agencies, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF.

The donated funds will be used to deploy relief measures in the Philippines such as emergency food supplies, therapeutic food for children, health kits, water, and hygiene kits.

BASF vice chairman of the board of executive directors, Martin Brudermüller, who is responsible for the firm’s activities in the Asia Pacific region, said: “Following the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan, our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Fortunately, all employees of BASF and BASF sites in the Philippines are safe. We aim to support the recovery efforts in the Philippines through rapid relief measures.”