ARMM extends food aid to Marawi residents
COTABATO CITY: The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), through its Humanitarian Emergency Response Team (HEART), has distributed some 2,000 food packs to returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Marawi City who evacuated to safer areas when the Marawi siege broke out on May 23.
Myrna Jo Henry, speaking for the ARMM’s HEART, on Monday said the regional government continues with its humanitarian assistance by extending its food aid to another batch of recipients.
Henry added that the IDPs had mixed emotions wherein they were happy to receive the food assistance given by the ARMM that could last for their sustenance for a few more days.
But they felt sad also after seeing their homes already “beyond recognition” as a result of armed hostilities.
“It was ARMM Peoples’ Day where regional government agencies brought basic services to the places of origin of IDPs,” Henry said of the event headed Al Rashid Lucman, ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia and Cabinet members.
She added that each food pack - and mats for each family-recipi- Marawi City’s internally displaced persons (IDPs) receive food assistance from ARMM- ent, mostly from Barangay Malutlut and Central Basak.
The ARMM-HEART also conducted Mine Risk Education on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) for the IDPs in Marawi City.
The former war zone of government forces and Islamic Stateinspired Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists has been cleared of war materiel but the forum was a safety measure to prevent accidents.
Residents were told not to touch any unexploded ordnance like mortars, grenades, bombs, even bullets to ensure their full safety, Henry pointed out.