UN, NGOs send tons of food to flood-hit Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations and non-government organizations on Tuesday sent hundreds of tons of food items to flood-hit areas in Northern Mindanao, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Tuesday. An article on the CBCP website said the first installment of help from the UN humanitarian relief arm World Food Programme (WFP), mostly rice, started arriving at depots in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities. Church-based groups, private institutions and radio and television networks and non-government organizations accepted donations in various forms for distribution to the flood victims. Mindanao-based Balay Mindanaw group of NGOs raised at least P1 million to help the flood victims. Together with the Lutheran World Relief (LWR), it has pooled resources and raised P1 million to assist those displaced by the floods in Cagayan de Oro city and Misamis Oriental province. The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro mobilized its parishes to assist the victims of the massive flooding that hit the city starting on January 3 and then again on January 11 up to the weekend. In the case of the WFP, the 630 metric tons of rice will distributed, with the help of LGU officials and NGOs in Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities. Patricia Artadi-Facultad of the World Food Programme-Philippines said the initial 630 metric tons of rice will meet the rice needs for one month of at least 25,000 families. "WFP fully understands that the situation remains fluid, and we will continue to work closely with government and NGOs on the ground to further assess and adjust our response accordingly," said WFP country director and Philippine representative Stephen Anderson. For his part, Misamis Oriental Vice Governor Norris Babiera said their problem now is how their people will fare in the coming months. "The next planting season is still months away. How will they survive in between those months is our immediate concern," he said. "Our people can face starvation in the coming months. The post-disaster period is always the most difficult phase for the affected residents," he added. The floods, the worst that hit Misamis Oriental in history, has destroyed at least P207 million worth of vital infrastructures in the province, the vice governor said. "The situation here is very serious. There are so many families affected. The WFP will support the local government in addressing the problem," WFP-Philippines deputy director Alghassim Wurie said after the briefing. - GMANews.TV