IOM and the Provincial Government of North Cotabato in the
Philippines have provided 129 conflict-affected families in
Mindanao with shelter repair kits and non-food relief items.

A land dispute between two warring commanders forced these
families to flee their homes in the municipality of Kabacan in
January this year. Since then, they had been living in difficult
conditions in evacuation centres or with friends and relatives.

The assistance consisted of shelter repair kits, including nails
and local building materials to help the families to rebuild their
homes.

They also received gardening tools, vegetable seeds, water jugs
and water sprinklers. These will help them to grow their own food
and to earn some income through the sale of any surplus
vegetables.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of
North Cotabato, which is chaired by the provincial local
government, requested IOM's assistance in March. IOM then chanelled
its assistance through the Provincial Social Welfare and
Development Office (PSWDO).

The assistance is part of IOM's efforts to restore communities
in Mindanao, which has been wracked by natural disasters and
outbursts of violence between clans and other armed combatants over
the past several years.

IOM's programme to help families in Mindanao is supported by the
UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)-funded project on Camp
Coordination and Camp Management and Protection for Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Central Mindanao.

For more information, please contact:

Maria Ena Olmedo

IOM Mindanao

Tel: +63 064 421 1366

E-mail: "mailto:eolmedo@iom.int">eolmedo@iom.int