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MANILA: The UN World Food Programme on Wednesday said it would deliver additional food aid to about 60,000 people displaced by a recent flare-up of Muslim separatist violence in the southern Philippines.
The 250 metric tonnes of rice will go to war refugees in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, the WFP said in a statement, noting that there was "worrying humanitarian situation in Mindanao."
The upsurge in fighting started when Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attacked a military convoy in Lanao del Sur on Sunday, killing seven government troops.
A day later, the rebels raided several Christian towns in neighbouring Lanao Del Norte, burning houses, looting businesses and leaving 38 people dead.
The attacks in Lanao forced 60,000 people out of their homes.
MILF rebels also last week occupied several villages in North Cotabato province, displacing some 160,000 people.
"Following rapid assessments carried out in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, we announce this additional response to IDPs (internally displaced persons)," WFP country director Stephen Anderson said.
"In the current unpredictable security situation, vulnerable victims of these clashes urgently need to receive humanitarian assistance, especially essential food among other complimentary relief items," he said.
He said WFP staff were continuing to carry out in-depth assessments on the ground with local officials.
"We hope for peace and stability so that affected families in Mindanao can soon return to their homes and begin rebuilding their lives," Anderson said.
The WFP had earlier airlifted 400 metric tons of rice for those displaced in Cotabato.
- AFP/;yb
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