(Eagle News) — One year after the Marawi City siege, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has shifted its operation from relief to recovery as it focuses on the restoration of livelihood of residents in the area.
This is part of the continuous aid operations of the PRC, in partnership with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), that aim to give household livelihood assistance worth P15 million to 1,500 families starting July.
The five-month long armed conflict left thousands homeless and with devastated livelihoods.
A Philippine Red Cross release said that families that lost their livelihood will receive this assistance, “particularly the returnees, households who have suffered extreme damage of livelihood, gaps in terms of assistance, and who are ready in terms of coping mechanisms.”
The distribution of livelihood assistance, which will start in July, will be done only after the “ongoing beneficiary selection, assessment, and validation.”
“So far, PRC has helped families to repair safer, more disaster-resilient temporary shelters in the evacuation centers, through orientation on self-shelter and distribution of shelter toolkits containing a hatchet, a saw, umbrella nails, a rope, tie wire, and tarpaulins as part of the organization’s shelter repair assistance,” the PRC said.
Recently, PRC distributed 527 shelter tool kits to three evacuation centers in Balo-I Lanao del Norte, Bito, Buadi Ituwa, Marawi City, and Pindulonan, Mulondo Lanao del Sur. Aside from livelihood and shelter assistance, PRC has provided hot meals and clean water, as well as other humanitarian aid such as psychosocial support, first aid, and tracing services.
Through its basic health care unit, PRC has served 8,392 patients, and transported 321 individuals to nearby hospitals. Almost 43,000 individuals were provided with psychosocial support, while 1,520 individuals have received hot meals. The Welfare Service’s I Am
Alive program, helped 6,192 individuals contact their missing loved ones. Some 11,649 families received food items as well as non-food items composed of hygiene kits, kitchen sets, solar lamps, and slippers, from ICRC and other partner national societies.
To ensure the health and safety of the people, PRC, through the provision of water tankers has distributed clean water to 214,504 individuals.
The organization has also installed 20 portalets, 53 cubicles for bathing purposes, and eight cooking kiosks in the evacuation centers.
The Philippine Red Cross also invited the public to become volunteers.
“The public is invited to be part of the organization’s mission to alleviate suffering and restore the dignity of the most vulnerable by giving generously or by becoming PRC volunteers. Let us help save lives now,” a PRC statement said.
(with a PRC release)