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WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday sent condolences to the Philippines, still reeling from deadly storms and flooding that have left at least 300 people dead and hundreds of thousands stranded.
"On behalf of the American people, I want to express my deep condolences for the loss of life and devastation caused by recent storms in the Philippines, particularly Tropical Storm Ketsana," Obama said in a statement.
"(First Lady) Michelle and I feel great sorrow over the hundreds of people who have died from the storms and resulting flooding and the hundreds of thousands more who have been displaced."
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated 1.8 million dollars in response funds so far, the president noted.
"As a longstanding friend and partner of the Philippines, we stand ready to continue our cooperation and assistance in the coming days," Obama said.
Some 4,000 homes were destroyed by the combined blow from Typhoon Parma over the weekend and tropical storm Ketsana on September 26, according to the United Nations humanitarian coordination office (OCHA).
About 400,000 people around Manila have fled to emergency shelters and cannot return to their homes until floodwaters subside, and UN agencies are warning of the threat of waterborne diseases.
Relief agencies reported that flood victims were wading through neck-high water to collect emergency food rations, with more torrential rain forecast as typhoon Parma lingered off the coast of the Philippines.
The storms and flooding have also destroyed about 117 million dollars in crops including rice, according to government estimates quoted by OCHA.
- AFP/so
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