Marawi IDPs receive Ramadan food packs

MARAWI CITY--More than 7,000 Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP’s) that were affected by the five-month siege last year received Ramadan food aid packs Wednesday from an international humanitarian organization.

The recipients consisted of IDPs in Buadi Itowa, Sarimanok and Barangay Boganga evacuation centers, said the Islamic Relief Philippines (IRP), an international humanitarian and development organization.

“The organization aims to provide Ramadan food packs to most vulnerable families for them to concentrate on their prayers and worry less for food during Suhoor (meal before sunrise) and Iftar (meal after sunset),” said IRP coordinator Leah Bugtay.

Each family of five received a set of food packs consisting of 15 kilos of rice, 500 grams of halal-certified salt, 500 grams of halal-certified mongo beans, two liters of oil and three cans of halal-certified sardines and three cans of halal-certified corned beef, Bugtay said.

Two sets of food packs were given for a family that has up to 10 members.

“The Ramadan food aid is estimated to last for seven days,” said IRP communications and advocacy officer Mary Ann Zamora.

A 63-year-old IDP woman was emotional as she showed her gratitude to the organization. “I was not expecting that they could give this much to us,” she said.

Zamora said the group was amazed at how Muslim and non-Muslim volunteers came together to assist in the distribution of the food packs, especially the volunteers from Cagayan de Oro - who gave their time without anything in return.

She said IRP has been providing food aid to vulnerable families, particularly those who have a family member with disability, elderly, pregnant and lactating woman, and orphan child or children under five years old, in select areas in Mindanao.

In this year’s Ramadan, the organization aims to reach out to 15,000 people in Marawi City and Maguindanao province. (Irma Boza/PNA)