13th Mindanao Virtual Protection Coordination Platform (MVPCP) Meeting
Cover Message
There are 92,765 individuals currently displaced in BARMM, with majority of the displaced persons belonging in Lanao del Sur comprising 85% of the total number. Armed conflict, clan feud and natural hazard account for recent and protracted displacements due to warring factions, armed encounters between the government and hostile groups, and heavy downpour during the reporting period.
For non-BARMM areas, 184,714 individuals remain displaced. This is a marginal decrease from the recorded 184,763 displaced persons in last reporting period. The majority number of displacements comes from Region XI, which embraces 63% of the total figure reported.
Protection partners presented the displacement overview in Basilan Province, including the issues on possible retaliation from warring parties and disruption of economic activities in the affected cities and municipalities. The local authorities have initiated settlement of the feud IDPs have already returned to their habitual residences. For Sulu Province, various activities were undertaken for the balik-barangay IDPs, such as cleanliness drive at ECs, profiling of families and family development sessions for 4Ps beneficiaries, among others.
DSWD Regional Offices are continuously monitoring the number of displaced families temporarily seeking shelter in camps and evacuation centers (ECs) and their urgent needs. In Palimbang, North Cotabato, two evacuation centers in the area have already closed, but another EC (Palimbang Central School) opened and currently accommodating 70 families. As per validation, IDP protection issues reveal that there are no comfort rooms available. Water source is not usable for drinking. Mosquito nets, plastic mats, kitchen kits and tarpaulins are needed. IDPs are not observing DOH guidelines on COVID-19. They are not wearing masks and they do not have hygiene kits. DSWD FO XII is preparing family food packs as requested by the IDPs, but they cannot claim the food packs since the EC has no vehicle to collect the food packs.
In Brgy. Mahagsay San Luis, Agusan del Sur, augmentation report and assistance were already provided. Said assistance is comprised of 122 family food packs, 61 family kits, 61 hygiene kits and 61 sleeping kits. It is already turned over to MSWDO and to be distributed this week. LGU also provided support through family food packs. The IDPs have already constructed temporary shelters and might not return to their habitual residences anytime soon. To date, 61 families (approximately 367 individuals) remain displaced in San Luis. For more information on displacement and humanitarian responses, please see the 13th MVPCP PowerPoint presentation.
UNHCR Philippines works closely with the government and other partners in the provision of essential goods and services to forcibly displaced families. Committed to stay and deliver, UNHCR ensures that that protection remains at the core of humanitarian responses especially in these challenging times.
