Canada is to provide 1 million Canadian dollars (900,000 U.S. dollars) as emergency assistance to the victims of typhoon Durian in the Philippines, the Canadian embassy in Manila said in a statement on Sunday.

At the same time, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay and Minister of International Cooperation Josee Verner expressed Canada's condolences to those families and communities in the central and northern Philippines affected by the typhoon, the statement said.

Verner said the aid seeks to provide emergency assistance to people in the typhoon-affected areas, and to assist with early recovery and disaster preparedness initiatives.

Durian is the third super typhoon to hit the Philippines in two months, and it has left a trail of destruction across the central and northern areas of the Philippines, as flooding and storm winds damaged homes, cut power lines and halted sea travel. At least 400 people were confirmed killed so far.

Source: Xinhua