UN warns of 'humanitarian crisis' in Philippines city of Zamboanga
Aid workers warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in a major Philippine city wracked by more than two weeks of deadly street battles between Muslim rebels and soldiers.
Aid workers warned yesterday of a worsening humanitarian crisis in a major Philippine city wracked by more than two weeks of deadly street battles between Muslim rebels and soldiers.
The deaths of three troops brought the official death toll from the conflict in Zamboanga to 173 as the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) guerrillas remained defiant despite being heavily outnumbered.
"We are increasingly alarmed by the situation and the growing needs of people caught up with violence," the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, Luiza Carvalho, said in a statement.
"We are particularly concerned for the most vulnerable, especially the well-being of women and children."
The military said hundreds of MNLF rebels entered Zamboanga on September 9, taking over several coastal villages, burning thousands of homes and taking dozens of civilians hostage in a bid to derail peace talks.
More than 109,000 people have since been displaced in Zamboanga, according to the UN, or about 10 percent of the population of the coastal city, which is one of the major trading hubs for the strife-torn south.
"The situation in Zamboanga city ... is now a humanitarian crisis," the UN statement said.