Over 82,000 affected by Zambo standoff

MANILA, Philippines - More than 82,000 people from 15 barangays of Zamboanga City have been affected by the nine days of fighting between government forces and the Misuari-led faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday said a total of 82,106 persons or 16,533 families have been affected in 14 barangays in Zamboanga and one barangay in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Of the affected residents, 67,845 individuals or 13,028 families have been displaced and are now staying inside 24 evacuation centers.

A majority of the evacuees, more than 50,000 of them, are at the Joaquin Enriquez Sports Complex in Zamboanga City.

Forced evacuation has been implemented in barangays Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Rio Hondo, Mampang, Talon-Talon and Mariki amid sporadic clashes between state forces and followers of MNLF founder Nur Misuari.

Zamboanga City remains under Level 4 crisis management due to the violent incidents in the area.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said about 850 houses had been destroyed amid fierce exchanges of gunfire and occasional bursts of mortar rounds and grenades. Police said some fires might have been deliberately set by rebels to cover their escape.

The NDRRMC said the Zamboanga crisis has so far damaged at least P4.5 million worth of property. The properties were damaged by a fire that hit parts of Sta. Barbara, Rio Hondo and Kasanyangan.

Flights and sea travel departing from and bound for Zamboanga City have been suspended since Sept. 9.

Rural transit buses to and from the city resumed operations since Monday.

However, some local forms of public transport in six affected barangays remain paralyzed.

NDRRMC said a total of P5.73 million worth of assistance has been provided to affected residents.

The Zamboanga City Crisis Management Center is conducting cleaning up operations in the evacuation centers to ensure the well-being of the evacuees.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said an additional P16.5 million in standby funds were released to purchase relief goods for the affected Zamboanga residents.

Soliman said the additional funds were necessary as the number of evacuees has increased while the hostilities between government forces and the MNLF continue on its ninth day.

Soliman assured the DSWD still has enough funds to sustain the immediate needs of the increasing number of evacuees affected by the fighting.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), on the other hand, reported increasing cases of sickness among the evacuees.

PRC assistant secretary-general Neil Nocon, however, assured the public all measures are being taken to prevent an outbreak.

“It’s common in an evacuation center. The (national government agencies), the city health office and other agencies are also there and we have many health and sanitation groups that are helping them,” he said.

Nocon said Red Cross staff and volunteers are now also doing psycho-social counseling among the evacuees to help them recover from the crisis. – With Rainier Allan Ronda, Sheila Crisostomo, Helen Flores, AP