|
Monday, September 01, 2008
Lanao folks eat root crops in absence of rice
By Froilan Gallardo
CAGAYAN DE ORO - Villagers of Tangkal town in Lanao del Norte have resorted to eating root crops after the military imposed a food blockade limiting the flow of relief goods to evacuees, a non-government organization (NGO) said Sunday.
Abel Jose Moya, program manager of Pakigdait, an NGO helping the relief effort in Lanao del Norte, said they managed to deliver 11 sacks of rice to Tangkal town and found its residents half-starved, resorting to eating root crops to ease their hunger.
Visit the Beijing Olympics 2008 blog
He said the sacks of rice were bought by the Lanao del Norte Provincial Government that were previously undelivered to the town because the shipment was stopped by the military.
"We found many of the residents were starving and they told us they have resorted to eating root crops because their supplies of rice have ran out," Moya told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in a phone interview.
"The shipment of rice we delivered is a drop in the bucket considering there were so many of them," he added.
Moya said more than 2,000 families in Tangkal have retreated to the school buildings of Tangkal National High School, Tangkal Elementary School and a madrasah to avoid being caught in the fighting.
He said another 917 families from outlying towns have joined the residents in these schools.
"There is an impending human disaster waiting to explode in Tangkal if nothing is being done to lift the food blockade," Moya said.
There is no immediate reaction from the military but last Friday, Lieutenant General Cardozo Luna, chief of the Mindanao Task Force, said a misunderstanding by military commanders in the field prevented a convoy of the United Nations Act for Peace program from bringing in food assistance to two villages in nearby Kauswagan town.
Act for Peace officials turned over the relief goods to the local government of Kauswagan town who promised they will deliver the food to the evacuees.
Moya said the military wanted to limit the movement of aid workers, citing security reasons.
He said the military have been telling relief workers that they only recognized the evacuation centers in the towns of Poona Piagapo, Pantao Ragat and Munai, while the rest of Lanao del Norte are considered as "combat zone", thus considered unsafe for aid workers.
"They told us they received intelligence reports that the MILF wanted to kidnap relief workers. But we need to distribute food to the evacuees or else they will face starvation," he said.
Dr. Reuel Toledo of the United Nations' Act for Peace program said the soldiers who blocked the UN food convoy told them that they received orders from the Army 104th Brigade that food packages should not be allowed into combat zones least these could be used by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels led by Abdul Rahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo.
Toledo said the Philippine Army is already violating the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement if indeed there was an order to stop the entry of food convoys to evacuation centers.
Principle 3 of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement states that "National authorities have the primary duty and responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons within their jurisdiction."
"Tangkal residents told us their movements to seek food are being limited because of the ongoing fighting," Moya said.
What made matters worse, Moya said Tangkal residents are afraid to go down to nearby Kolambugan town for fear of reprisals from armed Ilagas or vigilantes who blamed them for the MILF raid in Lanao del Norte that left 33 dead last month.(Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (September 1, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Search for missing C-130 plane continues