The Philippines’ delegate to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland, Yeb Sano, has delivered an emotional plea on Monday.
In tears, Yeb Sano broke down at the conference and spoke of his agonizing wait for news of his relatives, Sano also said he was speaking on behalf of those who lost their lives in the storm.
“I struggle to find words even for the images that we see on the news coverage. And I struggle to find words to describe how I feel about the losses and damages we have suffered from this cataclysm,” his voice continued to crack as he described his country’s current state.
“I speak for my delegation, but I speak for the countless people who will no longer be able to speak for themselves after perishing from the storm. I also speak for those who have been orphaned by the storm. I speak for the people now racing against time to save survivors and alleviate the suffering of the people affected.”
He continued, “We can take drastic action now to ensure that we prevent a future where super typhoons as a way of life. Because we refuse, as a nation, to accept a future where super typhoons like Haiyan become a fact of life. We refuse to accept that running away from storms, evacuating our families, suffering the devastation and misery, having to count our dead, become a way of life. We simply refuse to.”
His speech brought tears to the eyes of other delegates and a standing ovation.
China proposed three minutes of silence in memory of the victims. Delegates stood, some with tears in their eyes as they reflected on the scale of human loss in the super storm.
Yeb Sano also thanked the people of Poland, "In the midst of this tragedy, the delegation of the Philippines is comforted by the warm hospitality of Poland, with your people offering us warm smiles everywhere we go. Hotel staff and people on the streets, volunteers and personnel within the National Stadium have warmly offered us kind words of sympathy. So, thank you Poland."
As Sano addressed the opening session of the UN climate change summit in Warsaw, International aid is pouring in for the Philippines. 27 countries, as well as the European Union have so far pledged assistance to the Philippines amounting to billions of pesos.
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