Work Still Continue To Unclog Mindanao Rivers

Photos released by the Mindanao Tulong Bakwet show villagers walking near a river in Cotabato City in Mindanao on Tuesday, July 15, 2008. More than 3,700 families are affected by flooding in Cotabato City, Shariff Kabunsuan and Maguindanao provinces.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 15, 2008) – Work still continue Tuesday to unclog rivers in Mindanao of tons of lilies washed away by typhoon in the southern Philippines.

The Mindanao Emergency Response Network-Central Mindanao and Mindanao Tulong Bakwet reported that dredging is going on to free the Rio Grande River of lilies to help control the flooding in Cotabato City, Shariff Kabunsuan and Maguindanao provinces.

More than 3,700 families have been affected by the flood and are now staying in temporary shelters in Cotabato City, where at least 27 villages have been under water since last week.

The groups provided aid to evacuees. (Sittie Rajabia S. Monato / Mindanao Tulong Bakwet)

NGOs Aid Flood Victims In Mindanao

Cotabato City floodings. (Mindanao Tulong Bakwet)

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (July 10, 2008) - The Mindanao Emergency Response Network in Central Mindanao through its lead convener Mindanao Tulong Bakwet (MTB) Inc. conducted feeding and relief operation to flood victims and evacuees in the southern Philippine city of Cotabato.

The flood victims were forced to evacuate their homes after torrential rains flooded rivers and submerged many villages in Cotabato.

More than 200 families in Poblacions 2 and 3 benefited from the feeding program.The Department of Social Welfare and Development said close to 3,000 families were affected by flooding and most of them are in temporary shelters across Cotabato.(Sittie Rajabia S. Monato)

U.S. Grants Aid To Jolo War Refugees

MANILA – Washington on Friday granted US$75,000 to the Save the Children Federation (SCF) to provide immediate relief assistance to Filipinos displaced by fighting in the southern island of Jolo.

Security forces were battling Moro National Liberation Front rebels and Abu Sayyaf militants tied to al-Qaeda terror network on the island. At least 2 dozen people had been killed and over 100 people wounded in fierce clashes since April 13 on the towns of Parang, Talipao and Indanan.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila said relief items to be provided include temporary shelter materials, water containers, cooking utensils and hygiene kits. The commodities, it said, will be distributed through the Mindanao Emergency Response Network (MERN) composed of local non-government organizations and community-based groups organized by SCF.

The United Nations said as many as 42,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in seven of 18 towns on the island in the Sulu Archipelago, about 950 km south of Manila.

“We are dismayed, but not discouraged, by the recent outbreak of fighting started by rogue elements opposed to progress. The people of Sulu Province know that we stand by them now, as we have in the past, in our mutual efforts to bring peace and prosperity to their beautiful islands,” a U.S. Embassy statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner said.

The UN World Food Programme said it would send 85 tons of rice to help feed the refugees, now housed in temporary shelters across the island. (Mindanao Examiner)