Australia has pledged $245,000 or P10 million worth of aid for the residents of Zamboanga and Basilan who were affected by the ongoing clashes in the southern part of the Philippines between rebel group, Moro Nationalist Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Philippine military forces.

In a statement, the Australian embassy in Manila said the aid will include food, sleeping mats, water containers, blankets, hygiene items to local residents who were displaced and left homeless as a result of the ongoing conflict.

The Philippine government, as well as the officials from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), had specifically provided a list of items needed for the 120,000 affected residents in Zamboanga and Basilan.

Bill Tweddell, the Australian ambassador to the Philippines, said the ongoing conflict in Zamboanga and Basilan has resulted in a "humanitarian crisis deserving an Australian response." Ambassador Tweddell said in behalf of the Australian government that they were "deeply concerned" by the current violent exchanges in the southern part of Mindanao and its effects on the locals.

The emergency aid will be sent to the Philippine Red Cross, the United Nations Population Fund and the World Food Programme, according to the Australian government.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has declared on Sept. 25 that Zamboanga is currently facing a humanitarian crisis with thousands of people forced to leave their homes because of the violent clashes.

Hundreds of Philippine soldiers have been locked in battle with rebels since Sept. 9. About 200 Muslim guerillas stormed Zamboanga. It is the most serious military threat to the Philippine government in the recent years.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that 158,000 were affected by the clashes with around 10,000 homes destroyed by the ongoing violence. The Australian emergency aid comes after Philippine evacuation centres reported a shortage of tents, cooking utensils and sanitation kits.

RELATED STORIES