€200M aid to Mindanao
MANILA — The European Union yesterday announced that it will be providing humanitarian assistance worth €200 million, or at least P12 billion, to victims of violence in Mindanao. The aid aims to provide life-saving assistance to those who were affected by conflicts in the southern region of the country, the EU delegation to the Philippines said in a statement.
"Hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes due to continued conflict in the Mindanao region. They left everything behind and are struggling to sustain their day-to-day lives," EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said.
Stylianides stressed that the latest assistance underscores the regional bloc's solidarity with the Philippines.
The EU noted that over 50,000 people have been displaced in Mindanao since July due to the fighting between government forces and armed rebels. Humanitarian needs remain high in the region as displaced people's access to basic services have been hampered and their livelihoods have been disrupted. Latest data show that at least 500,000 in Mindanao are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 270,000 people and 100,000 out-of-school children.
"The EU funding, channelled through the European Commission's Civil Protection and HumanitarianAid Operations (DG ECHO), will help address the most pressing needs of the affected populations, both displaced families and members of host communities," the EU delegation to the Philippines said in a statement.—