Philippines: Government order on IDP camps raises concerns

A government order for tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) to move out of camps on southern Mindanao island could expose them to grave danger, as sporadic fighting between government troops and Muslim separatist rebels continues, according to aid workers. [...] Stephen Anderson, World Food Programme (WFP) country director in the Philippines, told IRIN that while the overall situation seemed to have improved, with local governments helping the displaced, people still feared being caught in the crossfire. "Most of the people here are not keen to go back because they do not feel the security situation has improved," Anderson said on 16 February. "In some cases people have lost their homes, and many have lost their livelihoods. This is a big dilemma in fact, because large numbers remain displaced."

Over 80% of first wheat batch distributed

Almost 80 percent of the first batch of wheat donated by the United Arab Emirates has been distributed to those in need, according to Deputy General Manager of the Yemeni Economic Corporation for Trade Affairs Abdullah Al-Kuhali. [...] According to a recent assessment by the World Food Program, families in remote villages in Yemen are regularly skipping meals and spending over two-thirds of their income on food due to high international prices, forcing some families to pull children out of school because they cannot afford to keep them there.

Rohingya are Muslim outcasts, not welcome anywhere

For generations, the ethnic Muslim Rohingya have endured persecution by the ruling junta of Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country. The plight of the Rohingya, descendants of Arab traders from the 7th century, gained international attention over the past month after five boatloads of haggard migrants were found in the waters around Indonesia and the Andaman Islands. [...] Twice since the 1970s, waves of attacks by the military and Buddhist villagers forced hundred of thousands of Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh, a Muslim country whose people speak a similar language. Many have since been repatriated, but 200,000 still work there as illegal migrants and another 28,000 live in squalid refugee camps. [...] Most refugee advocates expect Rohingya migrants will keep coming. "My 14 children rely on me. They have no safety, no food, nothing," said Mohamad Salim, a 35-year-old, bearded fisherman who also was detained and hospitalized in Thailand and begged to be allowed to continue onto Malaysia. "What will they eat? How will they live if I don't find work?" he said, his voice trembling.

Military news in brief

[...] The frigate HMS Northumberland has just completed her first main convoy escort of merchant shipping in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia. Leaving the Kenyan port of Mombasa in late January, the frigate was protecting four merchant vessels carrying cargoes of food vital to the famine relief effort in Somalia as part of the EU-led counter-piracy operation codenamed Atalanta. [...] Throughout this time, and especially as they came close inshore, Northumberland with her detachment of Royal Marines was at constant high alert — but the handover of food aid to Somali and World Food Programme security forces was accomplished without incident.