EU pledges funds for war displaced Filipinos

Hanoi (VNA) - The European Union (EU) has approved a 10 million USD
grant for emergency supplies for nearly 300,000 villagers displaced by two
months of fighting in the southern Philippines .

The grant, approved in Brussels last week, would supplement Manila's
rapidly dwindling relief funds for communities caught in the clashes between
government troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, Head of
the European Commission delegation to the Philippines Alistair MacDonald was
quoted by news agencies as saying at a news conference.

Funds will be used for emergency food and drinking water, sanitation,
shelter, health care, and rehabilitation projects for villagers, displaced
by fighting in earlier years, to return to their normal lives.

The EC Ambassador repeated a call by the EU for the Philippine government
and the MILF "to show restraint and genuine respect for the rule of law''
and immediately resume Malaysian-brokered peace talks.-