Mindanao Displacement Dashboard, October 2020
Dear Protection Partners,
Pleased to share with you the Displacement Dashboard for October 2020. Key highlights for the month comprise the following:
In October 2020, a total number of 5,149 families (19,617 individuals) were displaced in Mindanao due to natural disaster (10,647 individuals) and armed conflict (8,970 individuals). Out of 5,149 families displaced throughout the month, 74.6% (3,839 families) have returned to their habitual residences by the end of October, leaving 25.4% (1,310 families or 6,435 individuals) still displaced by the end of the reporting period. As of the 31st of October, a total number of 60,133 families (277,232 individuals) are currently displaced in Mindanao.
Meanwhile, UNHCR recently concluded its a webinar for protection actors and IDP leaders in Mindanao on 15 October 2020. This is the first activity in the webinar series on IDP Law and Policy for various stakeholders. 87 participants from various civil society organizations, international organizations, and key government agencies, as well as IDP representatives from Sulu, Marawi and Central Mindanao – attended the webinar. Atty. Cecilia Jimenez- Damary, Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs, Ms. Reinna Bermudez of Center for Crisis, Conflict and Humanitarian Protection, Commission on Human Rights, and MP Atty. Laisa Masuhud Alamia, Author of BARMM Bill No. 23 were the resource speakers during the webinar. The activity aims to raise awareness and deepen the knowledge of the participants about the Philippines’ state responsibility about the protection of IDPs and update them on developments regarding the national IDP Bill and the BARMM IDP Bill. The activity had the effect of sparking conversations about the IDP Bills and encouraging support to further the IDP Protection agenda. A technical working group will be created to gather support and craft an advocacy plan for the bills.
UNHCR facilitated the discussion on the formation of a TWG on advocacy activities for the passage of the IDP bill at the BARMM level on 28 October 2020. Discussions include brief background/rationale of the meeting, objectives and scope of the TWG. Participants also gave a brief background of their individual/organizational experience in legislative policy advocacy and the lessons learned from those experiences. While the energies of the TWG will be focusing on the BARMM, it will also be engaging actors at the national level through the submission of position papers and bilateral meetings. During the next meeting in the 2nd week of November, a structured document containing these advocacy activities will be presented.
The Project on Field Protection through Community Empowerment commenced last 28 October 2020 in Iligan City. This is a three-day workshop which aims to capacitate volunteers and partners in conducting community-based protection monitoring using the prescribed KoBoTool. The first training/workshop are dedicated for IDP Volunteers and Partners (Marawi City LGU through the City Social Welfare Office and UNHCR implementing partners, ACTED and KI). The said project is piloted in three transitory sites in Marawi City between November and December 2020. For more information, please download the October Displacement Dashboard.
