Food donations from the United Kingdom that were intended for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda have been diverted and sold for profit by corrupt local officials, a British paper reported.
In an article posted on its website, The Daily Mail said emergency supplies delivered by military helicopters have turned up on the shelves of shops in affluent districts of Manila.
“Crucial aid sent from Britain to help the victims of typhoon-ravaged areas of the Philippines is being siphoned off and sold for profit by corrupt local officials,” the report reads.
The Daily Mail also reported that shelter equipment bought using British donations have been locked up in government warehouses and stockpiled alongside food items.
UK-based charity groups are now concerned over the aid not benefiting the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
A Scottish expat in the Philippines identified as Keb Darge exposed the controversial diverting of aid donations for personal gains of some corrupt officials. The 56-year-old Keb Darge revealed that he faces death threats for stopping local officials stealing aid in Eastern Samar.
Mr. Darge photographed supplies being locked up rather than distributed in Eastern Samar, he used to live there, with his Filipino wife and their nine-year-old daughter. They moved to Manila and gone into hiding, fearing reprisals after receiving threats from the corrupt officials he has been trying to expose.
Aside from Mr. Darge account, TV station, GMA News also supported his claims, reporting that supplies have been diverted to Manila, some of the aid packages are apparently been auctioned online. (The Daily Mail)