P44m UN-Habitat livelihood support to aid Marawi IDPs

Marawi City — The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) launched a six-month, P44.2 million livelihood project to complement their post-conflict shelter rehabilitation project in Marawi City and facilitate the socio-economic reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from communities affected by the Marawi Siege.

The Japan-funded livelihood project, which will run until March 2020, aims to reach 4,000 households with sustainable livelihood opportunities and improve their capacities through community development, agri-business or enterprise development, trainings, linking and establishing markets, and employment generation.

The project will prioritize IDPs from the 20 barangays along the Agus River and Lanao Lake who can no longer return to their homes in the siege’s most affected areas; IDPs from the agricultural barangays of Guimba, Dulay, and Calocan West; and artisans and handloom weavers of Marawi City.

“The livelihood project is a response to the livelihood needs assessment (LNA) that was carried out at the start of UN-Habitat’s Rebuilding Marawi through Community-Driven Shelter and Livelihood Project,” said Christopher Rollo, UN-Habitat Country Programme Manager.

The assessment revealed that support especially in cash-for-work programs and market linkages, access of IDPs to start-up capital, and livelihood opportunities for women, the elderly and female-headed households was needed to complement government interventions and response.

The project will be implemented through two tracks: the Community-Managed Sustainable Livelihood track, with an allocation of P14.2 million, will be shared and implemented by 13 cooperatives to provide start-up capital for identified micro-enterprise developments; and the Citywide Sustainable Livelihood track, with an allocation of  P15 million each for two implementing partners, will promote and diversify existing livelihoods in Marawi City.  (pr)