Maguindanao IDPs down to 45,000
• 19:32 PM Thu Apr 23, 2015
721
By:
Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY - More and more internally displaced persons in Maguindanao are returning home, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) today said.In its latest data, the Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART)reported that the number ofIDPsfrom abut 20,000 families has gone down to at least 9,000 familiesAs of April 22, ARMM-HEART said only 9,053 families or 45,265 individuals remain in evacuation centers.On Wednesday, ARMM-HEART said evacuation centers were closed or destroyedin the towns ofRajah Buayan,
Datu Hoffer, Datu Piang, Mamasapano, Talayan, Talitay, Datu Anggal
Midtimbang,Datu Odin Sinsuat, at Datu Abdullah Sangki.
As they returned home on their own or with the help of ARMM-HEART, they received pabaon or food packs as they prepare to restart life in their own communities.Myrna Jo Henry ofARMM-HEART said the total number of remaining IDPs are stillin 32 evacuation centers insix municipalities.These are inShariff Saydona Mustapha with1,903 families (9,515 persons) Datu Unsay, 1,191 families (5,955 persons) Shariff Aguak, 685 families (3,425 persons) Datu Salibo, 2,310 families (11,550 persons) Datu Saudi Ampatuan, 2,364 families (11,820 persons) and Guindulungan, 600 families (3,000 persons).