2-week food supplyfor Marawi IDPs

MARAWI CITY ---The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government has provided two weeks supply of food to more than 33,000 families displaced in the Marawi crisis.

ARMM Governor MujivHataman led last July 10 the turn-over of an initial 2,500 food packs to the local governments of Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, and the town of Saguiaran.

A single food pack contains 25 kilos of rice, a kilo of monggo, fresh and dried fish, 10 canned goods, and two dozens of 3-in-1 coffee. It is intended to meet the food requirements of a family of four for at least two weeks.

Hataman said additional deliveries will be made to these LGUs in the coming days to complete the total number of food packs.

He said they’ve asked the help of the local government units in the distribution of the food packs to ensure that the assistance will reach the beneficiaries as quickly as possible.

The fighting in Marawi City, which is now on its eight week, has displaced more than 246,000 residents.

The more than 33,000 recipient families of the food packs are the displaced families who are known to be staying in Lanaodel Sur, either house-based or in the different evacuation centers.

Jo Henry, communications officer of the ARMM’s Humanitarian and Emergency Action Response Team (HEART), said the recipient families were identified and evaluated through the Disaster Assistance and Family Access Card (DAFAC) system.

The government is using the DAFAC system to evaluate the status and appropriate needs of the affected families and ensure efficient relief distribution.

Henry said that on instruction from regional governor, the ARMM-HEART started to distribute the three- week food packs to families with Disaster Assistance Family Access Card (DAFAC) in the days leading to end of Ramadan last month so that the families will have something to prepare for the celebration if the Eid’lFitr.

In addition to its humanitarian and relief operations, the ARMM government is also assisting in drawing up plans for the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Marawi City and other affected areas.

The task force created by President Rodrigo Duterte to oversee this operation, the Task Force BangonMarawi, will be coordinating its efforts with the regional government.

Hataman said government agencies must come together and work in solidarity with other stakeholders to deal with the damage of the Marawi crisis to infrastructures and civilian lives. (BUREAU OF PUBLIC INFORMATION – ARMM / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)