On the second anniversary of the Marawi Conflict, we look back at some of UNHCR’s notable support in the past two years.
Back in 2017, the conflict between armed groups displaced 98% percent of Marawi’s population, including some families in neighboring municipalities (as shown in our June 2017 IDP Protection Assessment Report). More than 350,000 people were forced to flee from their homes and sought refuge in neighboring municipalities then.
UNHCR Philippines has provided support from the onset of the conflict back in 2017 to date. Even when it no longer appears prominently in the headlines, we continue the provision of humanitarian assistance. In the past two years, through the support of donors like you, UNHCR’s intervention came in the form of life-saving assistance, activities aimed at protecting the well-being and safeguarding the rights of the most vulnerable, and projects that facilitate safety and dignity for the forcibly displaced.
In July 2017, just two months after the conflict erupted, UNHCR Philippines distributed core relief items to several evacuation centers around Marawi city, including the ones in Buru-un and Saguiaran. Based on the first issue of our Marawi Survey, 91% of all IDPs relied on relief assistance for meeting their basic needs in 2017. The core relief items distributed include plastic sheets, blankets, and beddings. As the conflict came to a close, it was important to restore the sense of safety among the displaced families, and these items made them feel a sense of home in their temporary shelters.
UNHCR also assisted the most vulnerable people with special needs. UNHCR provided wheelchairs, beddings, and specialized equipment for the elderly, the disabled, and children with the impaired ability to walk. To this day, our monitoring activities strive to identify those with special needs and provide the necessary aid.
When people are forced to flee, they often leave behind all their civil documents – birth certificates, passports, identification cards. In October 2017, UNHCR facilitated the distribution of Philhealth identification cards for the internally displaced. We teamed up with Philhealth focal points in Pantao Ragat, Pantar, Balo-i, Iligan, and Saguiaran, where many people sought refuge. We also arranged for an SMS broadcast system for emergencies, in partnership with SMART Communications. These initiatives lessened their protection risks like freedom of movement, as well as facilitated their access to social services.
A year after the conflict, humanitarian gaps were still identified hence the continued distribution of core relief items. In June 2018, UNHCR went to Barangay Guimba and West Pantar, and distributed plastic tarpaulins, clothing, and blankets.
According to our June 2018 Mindanao Displacement Dashboard, these donations were able to help more than 90 families from Barangay Guimba and West Pantar collectively.
As part of our World Refugee Day activities in June 2018, we teamed up with global partner Uniqlo for mass clothing distribution in several transitory shelters. Clothes and other relief items were distributed to more than 300 families around the areas of Guimba, West Pantar, and the Sarimanok evacuation center in Poblacion, Marawi.
UNHCR Philippines continues its protection monitoring activities in several communities in Marawi. Based on the April 2018 IDP Assessment report, there are 52 active evacuation centers in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Iligan. Our field staff consistently make rounds in these transitory shelters to monitor the state of the people, consult with the IDPs, and help them identify their potential needs. This photo was taken around the area of Marinaut, one of the Barangays in Marawi that was most damaged by the conflict.
The lack of livelihood opportunities is one of the most lingering effects of the Marawi conflict. UNHCR commits to building better futures for the displaced families, and this entails capacitating their self-reliance. In 2019, as we inch into the third stage of our support, we have arranged several Quick Impact Porjects to help the Maranaos get back on their feet.
In Barangay Poona Marantao, there were a lot of dressmakers who lost their business when conflict erupted. The local market was destroyed and so were their shops. UNHCR has provided sewing machines for these dressmakers, and the women use them on a rotational basis. They now have a stable communal dress shop from the community, and this is being developed into a cooperative.
The ladies of Barangay Emie Puned formed a business called Palapalicious, where they sell a much-loved traditional side dish of the Maranaos. Thanks to this small business enabled by UNHCR, these ladies can provide for their families and preserve a part of their culture.
After the conflict, water became a very scarce resource for the families in Mindanao. Beginning in late 2018, UNHCR and its partners started to build sustainable solutions to make sure that clean water flows through the communities and transitory shelters. UNHCR mended the water system of more than five barangays, providing more than 500 people a reliable source of clean water. This way, they will no longer have to worry about life’s most essential need.
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