US provides additional P234-M aid for Marawi rehab

The United States is providing an additional P234 million or about $4.5 million to support the Philippine government’s efforts to develop and rehabilitate the city of Marawi, which was attacked by ISIS-linked terrorists in 2017.

This new contribution brings the US government’s total assistance to Marawi recovery to more than P3.4 billion or $63.6 million.

“The US government remains committed to supporting the Philippine government in helping restore normalcy in the lives of the Filipinos affected by the Marawi conflict,” US Ambassador Sung Kim said in a statement on Thursday.  “This new assistance reflects the strong bond between the US and the Philippines as friends, partners, and allies.”

Fresh funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will help approximately 50,000 internally displaced persons in Marawi and 9,000 in Maguindanao.

USAID is Washington’s lead government agency for international development and disaster assistance.

Around 2,600 individuals will be provided with emergency shelter assistance, in addition to the nearly 33,000 individuals who have previously benefited, the US Embassy said.

The assistance also aims to expand water and sanitation services and enhance safe spaces to protect women and children from exploitation and violence. 

The Philippine military successfully eradicated and liberated Marawi from the ISIS-linked groups, including the Maute group, who staged attacks on the city on May 23, 2017.

Nearly 1,000 people, including many militants, have been killed in months of fighting, while thousands have been displaced.

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao to address the militant takeover in predominantly Muslim Marawi  – the worst crisis he has encountered since he assumed the presidency in June 2016.

US special forces have assisted the Armed Forces of the Philippines end the siege by providing technical assistance and enemy surveillance to Filipino troops battling the militants.

Since the early stages of the conflict, the US government has worked to improve conditions in evacuation centers and host communities while providing essential maternal, newborn, and child health supplies, as well as related training for affected populations. 

Nearly 7,500 displaced households were provided livelihood support, daily water delivery to more than 6,000 internally displaced persons, and hygiene kits and education for more than 30,000 people, the embassy said. — RSJ, GMA News