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Monday, September 05, 2005
Hunger stalks villagers
KORONADAL CITY -- Hunger is reportedly stalking hundreds of residents in a village in Guindolongan, Maguindanao who were displaced by renewed fighting between government forces and bandits in the area last month, a Hong Kong-based human rights group reported.
The Urgent Appeals Desk for Hunger Alert of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said the residents of barangay Ahan in Guindolongan were now left with almost nothing after they failed to harvest their crops, which is their primary source of food and livelihood, when the fighting broke out in July.
"In a desperate move to continue farming in order to have food to eat, it was reported that some of the villagers took the risk not to vacate their homes and farmlands. The meager relief assistance and poor condition of the evacuation centers discouraged the victims to evacuate," said the AHRC, which cited information forwarded by the Mindanao People's Caucus (MPC), a coalition of human rights groups in Mindanao.
The AHRC appealed to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 12 director Zorahayda Taha "to take appropriate action to afford sustainable food and relief assistance to the affected villagers, in the villages and the evacuation centers."
The group also urged Taha to initiate a dialogue with the victims, together with other relevant government agencies, to discuss their concerns and take steps to evacuate them to safety without delay.
The AHRC also aired the same appeal to Maguindanao governor Datu Andal Ampatuan, Commission on Human Rights-Region 12 director Rosalinda Tolosa, United Nations (UN) Children Fund resident representative Dr. Nicolas Alipui, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food representative Jean Ziegler and World Food Programme regional director Anthony Banbury.
According to accounts of Jose Acmad, a local peace advocate of the MPC, the problems started when the Armed Forces launched pursuit operations in their area early last month against supposed bandits.
By the time the military operations started, the villagers were supposed to harvest about 196 hectares of corn, rice and sesame seed crops but failed to do so because of the fighting and violence in the area.
Acmad said he joined hundreds of fellow villagers who refused to leave their homes and farmlands last August 18 due to the poor conditions at the evacuation centers and the thought that the potential for sufficient food is much better in the village. (Allen V. Estabillo)
(September 5, 2005 issue)
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