Mindanao (Philippines): Situational Report on Marawi Crisis

Tuesday 30 May 2017, by #DuyogMarawi

Contents

#DuyogMarawi (Duyog is a Visayan word that means “in solidarity with”) is convened by:

– Ranaw Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Assistance Center (RDDRAC)

– Multi-Stakeholders Initiatives for Humanitarian Action against Disaster (MIHANDs)

– Alliance for Tri-people for the Advancement of Human Rights (ALTAHR)

– Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM)

Background:

Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon of 23 May 2017, gunfight between armed men (suspected Maute Group and allegedly ISIS sympathizers) and the elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) erupted in public places in Marawi City while AFP and PNP were on their way to capture Isnilon Hapilon who was believed to be an ISIS member in South East Asia.

As the violence heaped up, civilians were continually exposed to higher risk of being killed or injured. Hence, many fled to neighboring areas while several others were trapped inside the conflict zone especially those who had difficulty of mobility (women, children, pregnant women, elderly, persons with disabilities, etc.).

Communities occupied by the M’ranaos, the predominant ethnic population in Marawi City were cleared by government troops through house-to-house inspection in order to contain the situation and to zero down the terrorist targets.

On the same day, President Rodrigo Duterte declared to put Mindanao under Martial Law. This immediately intensified the power of the military as well as the police in searching and seizing houses, persons and effects especially in 15 barangays that were reported by government intelligence to cater and support the ISIS sympathizers.

Tight security through containment of entry and exits of people was established in Iligan City as the government feared that their targets might go with the exodus of evacuees. Heavy inspection of cars and checking of identification cards were done in each of these checkpoints resulting to heavy traffic and the difficulty of travel and mobility of those who are evacuating. Some evacuees had to walk kilometers just to get to safer places. Areas that might foster the said Maute group members were also profiled.

Displacement

The massive displacement prompted the Iligan City government to establish evacuation centers while others stayed with their relatives’ and friends’ houses, mosques, hotels and resorts.

According to the monitoring and documentation of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (ARMM-HEART) as of May 29, 2017 [1] :

Total Number of Families Affected	17, 007
Total Number of IDPs	84, 460
Total Number of Evacuation Centers	38
Total Number of Stranded Person (Reported)	3,717
Total Number of Persons Missing/Stranded	3,776

The above data doesn’t include the home-based evacuees which already reached to more or less 15,000 individuals and counting.

The intensified clashes caused the massive forced displacement of people. United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) in the Philippines documented the movement of civilians from Marawi City to neighboring municipalities in Lanao del Sur, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental and as far as Cotabato City [2]. See the Displacement Map below

[Not reproduced here for the timebeing]

Ranaw Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Assistance Center (RDRRAC), network cluster of Multi-Stakeholders Initiatives for Humanitarian Action against Disaster (MIHANDs) in Iligan and Lanao provinces recorded about 37,000 displaced individuals who are now staying in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, Lanao del Norte and Iligan City. There were also civilians including children reported trapped inside buildings who have not eaten while waiting for rescue that has not come yet.

As of May 29, 2017, RDRRAC and Mi-HANDs noted the following numbers of evacuees based on the data collected by its field monitors:

Province/City	Individuals	Families
Lanao del Sur and Marawi City	23, 373	2,792
Iligan City	2,855	1,616
Lanao del Norte	9,261	2,030

In Iligan City, there are 690 and 526 families in home-based and evacuation centers respectively based on partial data gathering as of May 30.

Immediate Needs

Based on initial assessment and interviews with individual evacuees in the camps as well as in the home-based/communities, the following immediate needs are: food (preferably halal), drinking water, sleeping mats, malong/blanket, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, clothing, undergarments and diapers, potable water source and toilet.

The IDPs also need immediate medical attention, as there are already cases of diarrhea, colds and cough, chicken pox and skin rashes. There are already cases of post-traumatic stress disorder especially among children; hence, immediate psychosocial support intervention is urgently needed.

Challenges/Difficulties

The following difficulties are documented by RDRRAC and Mi-HANDs volunteers while visiting evacuation centers and home-based hosts:

• Increasing number of IDPs because arrival of evacuees continues daily

• Epidemic of chicken pox virus in selected barangays were IDPs are present

• Absence of communal kitchen in evacuation centers where IDPs could prepare their food for Ramadan

• Evacuees congested in 2 identified evacuation centers in Iligan City (Ma. Cristina Gym and Buruun School of Fisheries)

• Difficulty of proper documentation of IDPS since most are spread among host families in Lanao del Norte, Iligan City, and nearby cities/municipalities

• Cases of discrimination against Muslim IDPs as well as biases among and between major tribes of the Bangsamoro are already noted.

Casualties and Damage to Properties

As of May 29, 2017, there were 61 Maute Group members who were killed in the on-going military operation [3]. The ARMM-Heart also reported that there were 19 deaths of which 8 were already retrieved by the Department of Health [4]. The AFP also reported that there were 6 soldiers dead while 7 are injured on May 25 [5].

While there is still difficulty in assessing the extent of damage to properties, it was reported by different news agencies that Marawi City Jail, Dansalan College, Ninoy Aquino High School and Saint Mary’s Church were burned as of May 25. Mapandi Bridge, a strategic road network connecting Marawi City to the main highways was also destroyed.

With the airstrikes ongoing, damages on properties and loss of lives are expected to increase.

Peace and Security

Following the attacks and declaration of Martial Law, some neighboring cities were placed under high alert such as Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City, Cotabato City and Davao City.

Due to report of possible Maute group infiltration in Iligan City and Cotabato City, tight security checking have been implemented where individuals are not allowed to pass through check points without valid identification.

Conflict spill-over areas were identified if the ongoing crisis is not contained in Marawi City: Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Jolo-Sulu, North Cotabato, Iligan City Cotabato City, Davao City, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte.

These areas were identified based on the incidents of armed conflicts and other issues related to the Maute Group, Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and ISIS that were recorded and reported for the past 12 months.

With the peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-National Peoples’ Army (CNN) suspended because of the latter’s offensives, the provinces of Bukidnon, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Davao and Agusan del Sur were identified as hotspot areas.

In response to this, Incident Command System (ICS) Structures and communication centers were established by MPPM, ALTAHR and MIHANDS in different areas in Mindanao to constantly monitor the peace and human rights situation as well as movements of forces on the ground.

Initial Emergency Response

RDRRAC, MiHANDs, ALTAHR and MPPM have been sending information and Appeals for Emergency Assistance to all partners and friends at the local and abroad. The appeal is entitled: Call for #DuyogRamadhan for Marawi Siege Survivors.

Below are the details of initial emergency response conducted by RDRRAC and MiHANDs:

• 10 survivors of the Marawi siege underwent an initial emotional recovery process through psycho-social support in the barangay hall of Brgy. Saray, Iligan City on May 27. The survivors are residents of Brgy. Saray, Iligan City who worked in Marawi City when the terror attacks of the Maute group happened on Tuesday.

• Provided empty boxes solicited from convenient stores in Iligan City to the IDPs of a Madrasah in Lomondot Compound in Brgy. Bara-as to be used as temporary sleeping mats to 147 individuals. They also received additional sleeping materials, hygiene kits and water containers as a result of RDRRAC’s partnership with the students and faculty of Mindanao State University-Marawi.

• The Art Relief Mobile Kitchen (ARMK) by veteran photo journalist Alex Baluyut has been serving at least 787 wrapped/packed cooked meals for displaced Marawi residents initially in 3 unofficial evacuation centers. It is hoped to be sustained and cater more IDPs in the following days.

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