83. Manila, Regional Delegation (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federa
Manila, regional delegation (Australia, fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, FederatedStates of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea
http://www.helpicrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList157/61070D4588C32C2BC1256B66 |
About the ICRC ICRC Activities The ICRC worldwide Focus ... Annual Report Annual Report Manila, regional delegation (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa and the other island territories of the Pacific) Though dogged by difficulty and occasional violence, and sometimes stalled completely, peace negotiations were pursued by the Philippine government and a number of insurgent groups. The agreement reached in 1996 between the government and the MNLF* held; accordingly, the latter's combatants started being integrated into the Philippine security forces.
In its protection work, the ICRC continued to focus on registration and follow-up of people arrested in connection with insurgency and secessionist activity in the Philippines. In the course of their annual series of visits, delegates assessed the material and psychological conditions of detention and forwarded Red Cross messages in order to restore or maintain contact between the detainees and their families. When necessary they monitored developments by means of supplementary visits. In conjunction with the Philippine National Red Cross, the ICRC organized and financed trips by families lacking the means to visit their relatives being held in far-away places of detention.
Thousands displaced in Mindanao
In Mindanao, thousands of families were displaced by clashes in January and as many as 60,000 were forced to flee fighting in June and July, in both cases be-tween the Philippine armed forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The Philippine Red Cross and the ICRC swung into action, distributing food and other essential items to a total of some 40,000 people in need. The ICRC also covered the medical expenses of civilians wounded in skirmishes between the NPA* and security forces in various parts of the country. The upsurge in violence in Mindanao prompted the ICRC to assign a delegate to the area full time. | |
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