Death toll in Zamboanga's evacuation camps hits 88

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The death toll among internally displaced persons in the Zamboanga siege reached 88 as the government scrambles to relocate civilians affected by the Moro National Liberation Front's attack seven months ago.

City Health Officer Dr. Rodelyn Agbulos said the number of mortalities was cumulative since September last year when thousands of civilians were evacuated at Joaquin F. Enriquez, a sports complex converted as the main evacuation camp. 

Agbulos said 44 of the total dead were children below 5 years old, 24 were aged 5-60 years old and 20 others above 60 years old. 

He said the leading cause of the death was diarrhea for children while adults suffered from acute gastroenteritis and other respiratory ailments such as pneumonia and asthma leading to cardiac arrest.

He said to reduce the morbidity rate, massive sanitation and health assistance have been provided for the survivors along with the dislodging of latrines in the camp sites.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona directed the Regional Health Office 9 to look into the causes of the mortality in the evacuation center and provide what is needed to address the growing number of deaths.

City planning officer Rodrigo Sicat assured that the local government remained on target in the rehabilitation and establishments of the needed shelters to decongest and bring back the survivors to their places of origin.

The shelters will include organized stilts, land base single core, duplex and building apartment and housing units.

Engineer Al Indanan, district manager of the National Housing Authority (NHA), said the national government already secured P2.5 billion for the housing projects that will be established in the devastated district. 

Indanan said at least 1,661 families will be provided with construction materials, 3,241 families will be provided with stilts as most of them were from the Badjao tribe and 2,346 families will be provided with shelters on land. 

Indanan said the construction is expected to start by March and President Benigno Aquino III expects completion within six to 18 months based on the assessment of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local government rehabilitation team. 

The NHA is expected to provide homes to at least 7,248 families, Indanan said. 

The DPWH is still evaluating the right of way for the construction of some roads as some of the properties in the affected areas are privately owned. 

Sicat said aside from the rehabilitation of the resettlement site, security headquarters will be established to secure the area to prevent lawless groups from using the coastal village as its staging point in the future.