United Nations, Dec 24 (IANS): UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths on Thursday announced a $12 million rapid response allocation from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to support the response to the devastating typhoon Rai in the Philippines.

The allocation will help 220,000 vulnerable people through interventions in food security, protection, water and sanitation hygiene, camp management, shelter and logistics, as well as telecommunications in the hardest-hit Caraga region and Region VIII, Xinhua news agency quoted the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as saying.

The UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines, Gustavo Gonzalez, said on Thursday that typhoon Rai has been devastating.

Some 3 million people need assistance, among them 1 million children.

A total of 631,000 have been displaced and about 200,000 houses have been damaged, he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

People are in urgent need of emergency shelter, drinking water and food, he said.

On Friday, the UN will launch a humanitarian needs and priority plan that asks for $106.5 million dollars, targeting 530,000 people in the worst-hit areas, Gonzalez added.

The Philippine National Police has put the death toll due to the typhoon at 375, while many more are missing or injured.