Together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), UNHCR co-leads the Mindanao Protection Cluster to provide protection and durable solutions to families forced to flee their homes due to conflict and natural disasters.

With other cluster members, UNHCR continues to identify communities that are subjected to protracted displacement to ensure that all internally displaced persons (IDPs) are identified and supported with durable solutions to their displacement.

Sali Gomer rows his boat towards the sea from their transitory shelter in Buggoc. UNHCR supports the IDPs in Zamboanga City get back to their traditional livelihoods through facilitating registration of their fishing boats. (©UNHCR/K.Truog)

A woman processes seaweed before placing it on a solar dryer in Leha-Leha village, part of a UNHCR project to help returnees in Zamboanga's island villages restore their traditional livelihood. (©UNHCR/K.Truog)

UNHCR staff facilitating supporting IDPs to register the boats of the fishermfolk in Buggoc Transitory Site in Zamboanga City. UNHCR supports the recovery efforts of the government and promotes self-reliance activities of the affected population. (©UNHCR/K.Truog)

This fisherman is a proud recipient of UNHCR livelihood boat registration project. This man was one of 5 who were detained for fishing without fishing boat licenses. (©UNHCR/K.Truog)

Seaweed farmers in the island sitio of Leha-leha in Zamboanga City join hands in the construction of the stilt drier donated by UNHCR which supports the livelihood activities of the 127 families affected by the armed conflict in 2013. (©UNHCR/K.Truog)

Support UNHCR and enable us to provide assistance and deliver Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) that help displaced families rebuild their lives. This July, outrigger boats will be provided to the Layag-Layag and Leha-Leha communities in Zamboanga City, where skirmishes between government forces and non-state actors took place in 2013.

The boats will serve as transportation for children going back and forth to school in the mainland and can be use also for community livelihood and emergency purposes. UNHCR, together with its partners, has also completed assessments, consultations, and coordination for quick impact project implementation at the municipal and barangay level in nine (9) barangays.

The Protection Cluster continues to monitor new displacement and address protection issues. In April 2016, it monitored over 150,000 IDPs presently displaced and in need need of humanitarian assistance and durable solutions.