Philippines: more clashes in Maguindanao as 47,000 people remain displaced
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 20 September 2012 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Philippines: more clashes in Maguindanao as 47,000 people remain displaced, 20 September 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/505aee952.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
More displacements have taken place in the Philippines' troubled Mindanao region following clashes between the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the breakaway group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It is believed that the fighting may have been caused by a land dispute near the town of Datu Saudi, forcing dozens of families to flee their homes for safety.
These events follow a wave of displacements in early August when up to 60,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the wake of attacks by the BIFF on the Philippines Armed Forces (AFP) in Maguindanao and North Cotabato province. In total, some 47,000 people are still believed to be displaced in both provinces, the majority living with host families.
Seven other municipalities in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces continue to record high numbers of IDPs . Assistance to the displaced has primarily been provided by local and provincial governments with support from aid agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Food Programme. According to the UN Protection Cluster, as of early September the main assistance needs concerned drinking water, toilets, food, shelter and protection. IDPs in host families, and the host families themselves, remained largely un-assisted.
