ROME - Italy was to dispatch aid worth 284,000 euros (400,000 dollars) Wednesday to the Philippines to help the victims of two massive storms, the foreign ministry said.

An aircraft would be leaving Brindisi for Manilla carrying 38 tonnes of material supplied by the Italian Red Cross, including generators, inflatable boats, water pumps, blankets and kitchen equipment.

Tropical storm Ketsana, which killed at least 295 people last month, was followed by Typhoon Parma a week later, causing another 16 deaths.

Many areas in Manila and the northern provinces remain flooded, and the government has warned of possible epidemics.