Skip to main content

Internal Displacement Update, Issue 18: 18 - 31 May 2017

Countries
World
+ 11 more
Sources
IDMC
Publication date
Origin
View original

Feature

Philippines

Affected areas Mindanao island (Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Misamis Oriental provinces)

Cause of displacement Disaster, Conflict

Figures As many as 182,000 new disaster displacements between 5 and 26 May; At least 100,000 new conflict displacements between 23 and 31 May

Context

As many as 182,000 people were displaced between 5 and 26 May in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), following flooding in the municipalities of Datu Salibo, Shariff Saidona Mustapha and Sultan Matura in Maguindanao province on 5 May. The displaced people sought refuge with relatives and friends (DROMIC, 26 May 2017).

More than 100,000 people were displaced between 23 and 31 May due to violent clashes between government armed forces and Maute insurgents in Marawi city in Lanao del Sur province, ARMM (DROMIC, 31 May 2017). Almost 50 per cent of the total population of Marawi was displaced (ECHO, 29 May 2017; Al Jazeera, 31 May 2017). As many as 14,000 residents moved to 24 evacuation centres set up in fisheries, schools and gymnasiums in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte provinces; others sought refuge with relatives or friends, some leaving the province for Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental (DROMIC, 31 May 2017).

Confrontations in Marawi city involved government troops firing against Maute fighters who had seized large parts of the city, torched government buildings and a church, and flew black flags indicating their allegiance with Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL). In response, President Duterte declared martial law across Mindanao island, home to 20 million people, which will allow government forces to carry out searches and arrests and detain suspects without warrants (The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 May 2017; Al Jazeera, 24 May 2017)