Masjid Dimaukom, also known as the Pink Mosque, is a popular landmark in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao. A total of 210 families flocked to the mosque to receive aid.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Baipulo Sultan
“We are living in an evacuation camp because of the armed clashes in our community. We hope the fighting ends soon so we could return home and continue farming,” says Bakel Madali, a resident of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Baipulo Sultan
Salbanun Upam, a 75-year-old farmer from Maguindanao, says life as an evacuee is extremely hard. “We cannot return home to harvest our crops. We don’t know what will happen to our farmlands the longer we stay here,” she says.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Kathleen Martin
Around 170 families from the towns of San Fernando and Malaybalay in Bukidnon received aid packages in March. The families, who come from indigenous communities, fled after experiencing harassment in their community.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Kathleen Martin
Staff and volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross helped the ICRC to deliver aid to displaced families in Bukidnon.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Froilan Gallardo
Women wait for the distribution to begin at the municipal gym of Marogong, Lanao del Sur. At least 9,000 residents from four towns in this province fled their homes amid military operations against IS-Ranao.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Froilan Gallardo
A worker unloads sacks of rice from a truck in Marogong, Lanao del Sur. Around 1,800 families received food and essential household and hygiene items from the ICRC.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Froilan Gallardo
An evacuee carries wash basins and a sleeping mat—some of the household items provided by the ICRC to the displaced families in Binidayan, Lanao del Sur.
In March, around 50,000 people were affected by clashes between government soldiers and armed groups in three provinces in Mindanao, namely Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Bukidnon. The displaced families lived in a state of longing and uncertainty, relying much on aid to get through the days. We supported them by providing food, hygiene kits, blankets, and household items, with our partner the Philippine Red Cross.
