Red Cross expresses concern over displacement of nearly 13,000 people in Mindanao

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday voiced concern over the displacement of nearly 13,000 people in Lanao del Sur province on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines.

In a statement, the ICRC said that continued clashes between government troops and an armed group in Butig town from late May to early June forced 12,500 people, mostly farmers, to evacuate to safer grounds.

"Thousands of civilians in Butig were forced to flee their homes in February, when the first clashes began. Some were able to return in April, and just when they started planting a new crop, they were forced to flee their homes again in May, when hostilities resumed," said Dominic Earnshaw, head of the ICRC office in Cotabato City.

"Now, many of the displaced are living with relatives and depend heavily on their kin and the authorities, as they are still too afraid to go back home," he said.

He added that civilian houses were also destroyed in the fighting, appealing to all sides "to exercise utmost precaution to protect civilians and their property."

Between June 8 and July 2, the statement said the ICRC, together with the Philippine Red Cross, provided food and household items to around 12,500 displaced residents.

"The distributions took place in Butig and neighboring Lumbayanague municipalities as well as in Marawi City. The ICRC-PRC assistance augmented the aid provided by the government and helped families meet their basic needs," the statement read.

"Each family has received 25 kilograms of rice, 12 tins of sardines, 2 liters of cooking oil, 2 liters of soy sauce, 2 kilograms of sugar, 500 grams of salt, and essential household items including two blankets, two mosquito nets, one sleeping mat, and one hygiene kit," the statement said. Endit