ARMM sends more food packs, medical team to Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  -  The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has sent food packs to  thousands of evacuees displaced by the standoff between the government forces and the renegade forces of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari.

ARMM regional Governor Mujiv Hataman said they will  also be sending their medical teams and distribute hygiene kits for the evacuees.

“Zamboanga City is like a brother of our region. We know that almost all of our resources are coming from the city since it is the pivotal point and strategic area for the Basilan, Sulu Tawi-Tawi to the rest of the ARMM region,” Hataman said.

Hataman said they have set up their crisis management center in the city to ensure that assistance will be provided for the city and the Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi areas that are affected by continuing standoff, now on its seventh day.

Hataman said they have extended 2,000 food packs and relief assistance to the evacuees.

He said additional 4,000 food packs which came from the ARMM regional center in Cotabato also arrived Sunday night.

He said 1,000 food packs will be distributed to the affected isolated areas in this city,  while the other 3,000 will be distributed to the Basilan areas.

The local crisis management committee and the Social Welfare department reported the number of evacuees in this city have swelled to more than 62,000 civilians, who are now staying in several evacuation centers - most of them at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Sports Complex.