ReliefWeb

PHILIPPINES

According to the latest government report, about 18,000 people remain displaced across the typhoon-affected areas with at least 16,500 internally displaced people in home-based settings or are hosted by relatives/friends while the rest are in 55 evacuation centres. Disaster officials confirmed that 20 people died while 60 were injured from the typhoons’ torrential rains and destructive winds. At least 18,300 houses were damaged, of which 1,065 were destroyed according to assessment reports, with agricultural losses estimated at US$31 million. As a result of the impact of Typhoon Chanthu which made landfall as a category-4 typhoon (215 km/h winds) on 11 September, the provincial government of Batanes declared a “state of calamity” to access additional funding for faster relief and rehabilitation efforts.

While response operations remain within the capacity of local and national governments, IOM provided 500 tarpaulins to support shelter assistance and WFP is providing transport for family food packs to families in Eastern Samar.

INDONESIA

An exchange of fire between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) – the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the Indonesian military (TNI) and police took place in Kiwirok Sub-district, Bintang Mountains Regency of Papua on 13 September. The TPNPB forces assailed a community health centre, killed a healthcare worker and injured four others while another health worker is missing. The group also reportedly set fire to public buildings including a government office, a bank, the health centre, a school and a market in the sub-district. There is no immediate report of people's displacement due to the incident. However, a dozen of doctors from some inland Papua districts have been evacuated to Jayapura, the provincial capital city to prevent further casualties. Provincial and local governments are trying to restore the situation and restart public services. Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI), a member of the Humanitarian Country Team which consists of 18 religious-based humanitarian institutions, issued a statement of concern over this incident and urged all parties to provide protection to humanitarian and health workers.

PHILIPPINES

Eight people were wounded by an improvised explosive device detonated during a volleyball game in the town of Datu Piang in Maguindanao Province on 19 September. According to the town’s mayor, most of the victims belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
Military and local officials have tagged the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to be behind the attack. The Bangsamoro regional government’s Ministry for Social Services and Development has tasked its GBV team to probe the incident.

MYANMAR

The humanitarian situation in Sagaing Region remains challenging, with armed clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and local People’s Defence Forces (PDF) reported in several areas, which led to the displacement of some 18,600 people from Kalay, Kani, and Myaung townships between 7 and 10 September. Meanwhile, an estimated 45,000 people, who had been displaced since 4 September in the Sagaing Region, reportedly returned to their villages of origin between 8 and 13 September. In Magway Region, clashes between the MAF and the PDF were reported in Gangaw, Pauk and Saw townships between 10 and 12 September, and around 6,250 people have been displaced for the second time since May. 12,000 people have now been internally displaced in Magway since May, including 6,000 who were previously displaced from earlier MAF-PDF clashes from Chin to Pauk and Saw Townships. An estimated 12,000 people also remain displaced in Chin State, while clashes have escalated in some townships.Th is displacement is in addition to the nearly 10,000 people displaced in Paletwa (southern Chin) since March 2019 due to the earlier clashes between the MAF and the Arakan Army.

Humanitarian organisations are making efforts to reach displaced people with assistance and protection services; however, access and other operational challenges are complicating th is work.