ReliefWeb

Upon request of the government, UNHCR will ensure provision of core relief items to displaced families. UNHCR will maintain a role as advocate to ensure adherence to the protection principles, including non-discrimination in the provision of aid, and provision of support to displaced persons with specific needs, including women, children or families headed by elderly persons. All distributions will be carried out in coordination and partnership with the local government units, and with partner humanitarian NGOs where feasible

KEY POINTS

In July 2019, the Ministry of Social Services in Sulu and the Integrated Resource Development for Tri-People, Inc. (IRDT) assisted UNHCR in providing CRIs to 249 IDP families of Indanan, Sulu who fled their homes for fear of being caught in a crossfire between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) pursuing members of the lawless element Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), following the bombing of a military camp in the same municipality. CRIs were also distributed to 15 IDP families in Pantar, Lanao del Norte who remain displaced due to the 2017 Marawi Siege.

In August 2019, UNHCR and its project partner Magungaya Mindanao, Inc. (MMI) handed out CRIs to 112 displaced families in South Upi, Maguindanao when a firefight broke out between private parties involved in a long-standing conflict over land disputes. Solar lamps were also provided to 66 IDP families in Marawi City who were still staying in shelter sites after the Marawi Siege in May 2017.

In September 2019, plastic sheets were distributed to three IDP families in Iligan City who also remain displaced due to the Marawi Siege in May 2017 and 44 IDP families in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte who have been affected by Tropical Storm Falcon.
In October 2019, UNHCR and its project partner Community and Family Services International (CFSI) provided CRIs to 728 IDP families of Datu Montawal and 195 IDP families of Pagalungan, both from the Province of Maguindanao, who have been displaced due to a conflict between warring Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF). Fifty IDP families in Marawi City who remain displaced from the 2017 Marawi Siege also benefitted from plastic sheets provided by UNHCR.

In November 2019, blankets were given out to IDPs in the Province of North Cotabato (45 IDP families in Mlang, 819 IDP families in Tulunan and 1,863 families in Makilala) who have been displaced due to the 6.3 magnitude earthquake which devastated homes and other structures in these municipalities.

In December 2019, CRIs were distributed to 2,108 IDP families in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao who fled their places of origin due to ground and aerial assaults and fire fights between the Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

GAPS AND CHALLENGES

Due to the emergency nature of the CRI requests, UNHCR and its logistics partner, CFSI, were no longer able to conduct road assessments. Therefore, the size of the trucks used for transporting the CRIs at times tend to be inappropriate, making it difficult to access some distribution sites. Nevertheless, distribution activities were carried out successfully with the support of the project partners and government partners who managed the distribution of the items.

Some distribution areas, especially the interior barangays were difficult to access due to roadside erosion and landslides, but the distribution teams were persistent in reaching the sites and pursue the distribution as planned.

The distribution teams sometimes would pack up and finish with the distribution very late in the evening as some IDPs prioritized attending to their farms and their household chores first before going to the distribution site to claim the CRIs.

TOTAL BENEFICIARIES REACHED

31,485