As the armed conflict in Zamboanga City entered its third week, another front opened yesterday, this time with a radical breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front launching attacks in North Cotabato. Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the rogue faction of the MILF, reportedly grabbed 15 hostages in the assault in Midsayap. As of last night, government forces were pursuing the BIFF gunmen toward Maguindanao.
The outbreak of violence means more people displaced from their homes and livelihood sources. Thousands have already been displaced by the fighting in Zamboanga, where Moro National Liberation Front fighters loyal to chairman Nur Misuari continue to hold hostages in several coastal villages.
Assistance is being provided by the international community, but the government will have to do more to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Zamboanga. Approximately 1,400 homes and commercial structures have been destroyed by fire in the city, with many others destroyed or damaged in the continuing firefight. As photos and video footage show, evacuation centers are overwhelmed, raising the risk of disease outbreaks.
Apart from a steady and sufficient supply of food and water, evacuees need proper sanitation – something that can be difficult in overcrowded common dwellings. Children’s education has been disrupted. Livelihoods, not just in the fishing communities but also within the city proper, may not be restarted in the near future amid the continuing security risks.
The government must do its best to prevent the crisis from dramatically aggravating poverty in Zamboanga. Economic hardships tend to breed social injustice. Such circumstances provide fertile recruitment ground for insurgencies. The government can prevent this by seeing to it that its military response is accompanied by sufficient humanitarian support for the displaced communities.