The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) delivered humanitarian supplies worth S$100,000 to the Philippines on Monday, meant for civilians displaced by the conflict in Marawi.
A Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying the supplies landed near Mindanao’s Iligan city where many Marawi residents have fled to. The aid supplies were then handed over to representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Office of Civil Defense.
The supplies, which are part of Singapore’s offer of assistance to the Philippines last month, include tents, blankets, medical supplies, food items like rice and pasta as well as bottled water and water filtration devices.
Marawi has been under siege by pro-Islamic State fighters since May 23, prompting the Philippine military to launch an offensive to take back the city. Martial law is in place in the entire southern region of Mindanao.
Nearly 700 people have been killed, including about 500 militants, according to the Philippines military. More than 400,000 people have been displaced in the intense fighting.
The humanitarian supplies that Singapore delivered to the Philippines on Monday will take about a day to reach civilians in about 20 evacuation centres Iligan.
During Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen’s visit to the Philippines last month, he had also offered the use of the SAF’s urban training villages for Philippine troops, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. (ChannelNewsAsia)