Dry spell also taking its toll on Maguindanao IDPs
• 03:22 AM Fri Mar 4, 2016
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By:
Ferdinandh Cabrera
One family from Datu Salibo, Maguindanao fighting inconvenience, hunger and heat in a tent home built for them while fighting between soldiers and bandits continue. (FD)
DATU SALIBO, Maguindanao -– Hundreds of internally displaced persons here have been praying the armed conflict will soon end so they can return home and live normal lives again.
Among those praying for an end to hostilities was Rakma Samama who has been in the evacuation site since February 5 when hostilities erupted between the military and outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Rahima is obviously suffering from emotional and physical stress as she narrated her difficult ordeal of losing a loved one and living in a cramped and extremely heat evacuation site.
She lost his husband due to cardiac arrest after the conflict erupted. My husband was so depressed after our house was torched by unidentified men during the armed conflict,” she recalled. That contributed much to his demise,” Rahima added.
Jobless, Rahima could not imagine how to raise her four children. I don’t know what to do now,” she said.
The excruciating heat at evacuation sites made life very hard for Rahima and more than 3,000 other IDPs.
Saida Wahab, another evacuee, said the heat at day time made their lives very difficult.”
We may not have died due to conflict but we may die here, in this deplorable evacuation center,” Wahab said in Filipino. Overcrowded, unsanitary and the area is vulnerable to all kinds of diseases,” she said.
We really wanted to go home, but how, every day and every night we hear explosions,” Wahab said.
Wahab said the money earned by her husband Jukari as pedicab driver was not enough.
At night we stay here and at day time, we try our luck by returning home to look for food or firewood to sell and earn money,” she said. We cannot go to harvest coconuts because soldiers are there and anytime shooting war occurs.”
For Wahab and Rahima, the coming of a government relief aid was answered prayers.
Relief aid workers came Tuesday and extended medical and dental services to affected families, not only in Datu Salibo but also in the adjoining towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Datu Piang, all in Maguindanao.
Social welfare officials said more than 1,000 identified and validated families are to be served during the two-day relief assistance.