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Number of Pinoys fleeing Sabah reaches 4,721 -- NDRRMC
The number of Filipinos who have fled Sabah due to the clashes between Malaysian forces and followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has reached 4,721 as of Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. In its 6 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said a total of 944 families or 4,721 people including 2,861 adults and 1,860 children are already in the Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) area. Malaysian security forces continue to hunt down Kiram's followers in Sabah, and have been conducting offensives since March 5 after deadly clashes March 1 and 2. As of Thursday morning, the NDRRMC said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has established a mobile humanitarian desk-team in Tawi-Tawi. This aims to complement the rapid response teams led by the Department of Foreign Affairs. So far, it said some P10.39 million in food and non-food items had been provided to the displaced Filipinos. An added P13.403-million fund has been earmarked for the humanitarian efforts, the NDRRMC added. The Philippine Red Cross provided meals and hygiene kits and five-minute phone calls for both local and Malaysian phone numbers. Evacuation centers Anticipating more Filipinos to flee Sabah, the DSWD has pre-identified at least six evacuation centers in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. These include:
