Manila - The European Union (EU) has approved 3 million euros (4.15 million dollars) in humanitarian assistance to people displaced by fighting in the southern Philippines, the Philippine foreign secretary said Thursday. Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said the aid would boost efforts to provide relief to people that fled the fighting between government troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in the strife-torn southern region of Mindanao.
Romulo said the assistance was in addition to 6.5 million euros released by the EU last year.
"This additional aid will further boost the Philippine government's humanitarian programmes in Mindanao," he said. "It is also a reaffirmation of the EU's confidence in the administration's continuing efforts to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao."
The new EU aid will be implemented over a nine-month period and will cover food and nutrition, water and sanitation and primary healthcare.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes in Mindanao amid the continuing clashes between government troops and MILF guerrillas since August 2008 when the rebels attacked towns and seized villages.
More than 300 people were killed in the hostilities triggered by the scrapping of a key territory agreement between the government and the guerrillas. The fighting also led to the suspension of peace talks between the MILF and the government.
