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Philippines

WHO funding request: Health sector response to the complex emergency in Mindanao (The Philippines)

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Background

Since mid-August 2008, skirmishes between the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government forces in the Philippines island of Mindanao have resulted in the deaths of 318 people, with over 150 injured and hundreds of thousands displaced in Region XII, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and initially in Region X. There is, at the moment, a cessation of hostilities between the two groups. But with the likelihood of elections in 2010, possibilities of election-related violence and clan conflicts will inevitably result in many more internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the need for more resources and better coordinated humanitarian assistance.

During the height of the conflict in 2008, as many as half a million people were reported to have fled the violence. The fluidity of the fighting means these IDPs are frequently on the move, as what may be a safe haven one day may be the site of an armed clash the next day or week. This has led to confusing and often conflicting reports on the number of IDPs and their locations, and has hampered the delivery of humanitarian services. Religious and cultural differences among the IDPs, together with security constraints faced by responders, have further exacerbated the situation.

The number of IDPs is currently estimated to be anywhere from 350 000 to 400 000, of whom around a quarter are housed in 164 evacuation camps spread out over six provinces in the two regions. The remainder are either staying with relatives or have taken refuge in makeshift bunkhouses on vacant lots and along roadsides. Health services in the camps are provided by understaffed and poorly supplied mobile teams. Public health services for communities in IDP areas have been adversely affected, as scant resources have been diverted to the camps. Many exhausted local government health staff have been on round the clock duty since the start of the crisis. Security and safety concerns are hampering the delivery of essential public health services to more remote areas.