#AyudaZamboanga: Internally displaced persons need your help

MANILA, Philippines – At least 26,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the siege of Zamboanga City continue to live in evacuation centers and informal settlements, more than 5 months after the government clashed with a breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). 

The lives of the evacuees are far from normal. Poor living and hygiene conditions threaten the health of the residents, particularly young children. 

According to Zamboanga City health officer Rodelin Agbulos, at least 86 people died in evacuation centers since September 2013.  More than half of them were children under 5 years old.  (READ: Kids die in Zambo evacuation camps; shelters needed)

After surviving the standoff, IDPs now deal with a host of health problems like gastroenteritis, dehydration, and diarrhea. Local officials said it is high time for displaced residents to be relocated to better temporary shelters. The government plans to build bunkhouses in two barangays as part of a reconstruction plan for the city. 

Evacuees need your help

The plight of the IDPs in Zamboanga City was eclipsed by the Bohol Earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last year. The number of relief operations for the IDPs dwindled over the course of 5 months. They still need your help.

MovePH is collating a list of ongoing relief operations for evacuees in Zamboanga City. Send any relevant information to move.ph@rappler.com, with #AyudaZamboanga in the subject line. 

Red Cross 

• The Philippine Red Cross is accepting donations in the form of cash. This may be sent via PayPal, Cash, Check, and Bank Deposit. Kindly check out the Philippine Red Cross donations page for additional details. You can also follow the Philippine Red Cross on Twitter for updates and links to information.

Ateneo de Zamboanga

• The Give a day’s allowance intiative, led by the Ateneo de Zamboanga University IMAJE and the Ateneo Informatics and Computing Guild organization, is accepting monetary donations for the Zamboanga IDPs. The money will be used to buy soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, diapers and milk for selected families. For more information, contact Gerardo Luis Dimaguila, project director and faculty member of the ADZU Computer Science Department, at (062) 9910871 local 2245.

Share this page with your friends to remind people that they still need our help. Together, we can Move the Philippines! – Rappler.com

Note: In a previous version of this article, we mistakenly referred to the IDPs as refugees. Refugees are those who evacuate their homes and cross borders. We apologize for the error.