Statement Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Catherine Bragg

(Manila, 23 November 2011)

Good morning everyone, and thank you for coming.

This week, as you saw in the video, I visited Mindanao for the first time. It was an important opportunity to see and hear first-hand how communities in this part of the Philippines are coping with a protracted humanitarian crisis, brought about by years of armed conflict and other forms of violence, as well as recurring national disasters.

In Mindanao, I met with regional government authorities and aid organizations, as well as people who are receiving assistance, to discuss what more can be done to strengthen the way we respond to emergencies, and to prepare for new ones.

I went to communities where people have been displaced repeatedly over several years, and saw projects assisting them, as well as people who have recently been able to return to their home communities.

Yesterday I returned to Manila, and spoke to United Nations representatives, humanitarian NGOs and members of the diplomatic community, and I will be meeting with government officials later today.

Although the number of displaced people in Mindanao has significantly decreased since 2008, when an estimated 750,000 people were displaced, many communities still remain vulnerable and in need of assistance. Additionally, new displacements continue to occur, partly due to clan violence known as ‘rido’.

Mindanao, like the rest of the Philippines, is prone to frequent natural disasters. In June this year, nearly 860,000 people in Mindanao were affected by severe flooding, caused by heavy monsoon rains. Upon the request of the Government, aid agencies provided emergency food, water, nutrition, shelter and health care to complement national efforts. The global level United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund quickly released US$5 million for life-saving projects.

Humanitarian organizations were also instrumental in complementing national response to typhoons Pedring and Quiel in October when more than 4 million people in northern and central Luzon were affected. The flooding killed scores of people, and destroyed homes, crops and vital infrastructure. While the Government led the response and did not request international aid, humanitarian NGOs, United Nations agencies and partners in country helped reach many in need.

At the national level, I was happy to learn that there is a close collaboration between aid agencies and the Government, as seen in joint assessments, in coordinated response, and joint simulations to prepare for future natural disasters. I will be discussing these issues with the Government later today, building on previous experience –and including the recent floods in Luzon.

In Mindanao, aid agencies, together with the local government authorities estimated that nearly 700,000 people are still in dire need of humanitarian relief, protection and livelihoods support in central Mindanao, particularly in conflict- and flood-affected areas.

This includes people displaced by natural disasters and armed conflict, people who have returned home or resettled elsewhere, and people still living in their homes.

During visits to several humanitarian projects in Maguindanao Province, I saw tangible progress. At the same time, I also saw that the needs and vulnerabilities of people are serious, and that the situation remains fragile.

In Datu Piang, I spoke to a woman with four children, who had been displaced by armed conflict twice in the last five years. Recurring floods had added to her plight. Although her family’s original home was only seven kilometers away, the security situation meant they could not return, and their old family home no longer existed. The woman and her family are currently receiving assistance from UN agencies and partners; but their situation is very uncertain, and they do not know when they can go home.

I spoke to a man in Poblacion 9, who explained how 450 people in his community had first been displaced by conflict, and then affected by floods earlier this year. Their home area, as well as the area where they are currently staying, is also affected by insecurity.
The man stressed how important it is for him and his community to be making a living, while they wait for the right conditions to return. His community had originally been farmers, but had switched to fishing in order to cope with the new situation.

The needs of vulnerable people in Mindanao are complex, and we must address them through a concerted effort. I was encouraged to visit Pamalian, where several aid agencies providing assistance in health and food security were working closely together to maximize their impact for a group of recent returnees.

This group had been displaced by the 2008 conflict, and recently returned home. But their situation remains precarious, and risks such as ‘rido’, conflict and natural disasters are very real.

All these field visits gave me a clearer sense of the magnitude of the challenges we face in Mindanao and the very good work being done by aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance. I am deeply concerned by the impact of cycles of displacement, particularly those caused by armed confrontations between government forces and armed groups, and clan fighting. I call on all parties to conflict to spare people from the effects of violence.
The rights of the displaced, and others affected by conflict, must be respected.

In 2011, the United Nations and partners appealed for $33.3 million for a Humanitarian Action Plan for Mindanao. The plan is currently 54 per cent funded. For 2012, next year, an action plan for $37.9 million that prioritizes protection activities will be launched.
This morning, I impressed upon the diplomatic community in Manila that the situation requires their sustained and increased support.

The United Nations and its partners stand ready to support Government-led responses to emergency situations. Emergency responders must, however, be granted unhindered independent access, and allowed to undertake essential humanitarian assessments, particularly of the needs of newly displaced people in insecure areas.

We also have to keep in mind that the needs are not limited to central Mindanao, where most of the international humanitarian agencies are currently based.

Unfortunately, people will continue to need humanitarian aid as long as conflict and violence deprive them of the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

In closing, I would like to emphasize that the people in the Philippines have shown remarkable resilience in the face of challenges generated by natural disasters and conflict.
But we must work on a much more comprehensive approach in addressing the consequences as well as the root causes and prepare for future natural disasters and conflict scenarios. What we need is goodwill and desire to work together for a better and safer future.

Thank you very much.