UN to give $38M for people displaced by Mindanao fighting

MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations (UN) will next year pour some $37.9 million in humanitarian aid into Central Mindanao, saying its people have been seriously affected by “cycles of displacement” due to armed conflicts and natural disasters.

Catherine Bragg, UN humanitarian affairs assistant secretary-general and deputy emergency relief coordinator, made the announcement yesterday at a press conference in Makati following a two-day visit to Mindanao.

Bragg recently flew to the country for a five-day mission to personally see the impact of conflict and natural disasters on the region.

Relief needed

In her report yesterday, Bragg said nearly 700,000 people in Central Mindanao were still in dire need of humanitarian relief, protection and livelihood support, particularly households in conflict- and flood-affected areas.

“The needs of vulnerable people in Mindanao are complex, and we must address them through a concerted effort,” she said.

“I am deeply concerned by the impact of cycles of displacement, particularly those caused by armed confrontations between government forces and armed groups, and clan fighting,” she said.

She said a humanitarian action plan for $37.9 million will be launched in 2012, prioritizing “protection activities” in the region. The proposed figure is slightly higher than the $33.3 million which the UN and its partners had asked for Mindanao this year.

“A major way that UN agencies and our partners could provide protection is by presence, simply being somewhere and making sure that those who would perpetrate [violence] would not be able to do it,” Bragg explained.

Assistance boost

The UN will be increasing the number of humanitarian workers in Central Mindanao to be able to provide substantial assistance to the victims of armed conflict and natural disasters, she said.

The funds will also help in responding to the basic needs of affected families, particularly food, clean water, proper sanitation and hygiene, livelihood projects, basic health services, including maternal health services for women, among others.

Bragg said that although the number of displaced people in Mindanao has notably dwindled since 2008, many communities remain vulnerable and in need of assistance.

During her mission in Central Mindanao, Bragg visited several humanitarian projects in Maguindanao province, particularly Datu Piang and Pamalian.

“All these field visits gave me a clearer sense of the magnitude of the challenges we face in Mindanao and the very good work being done by aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance,” she said.