In May 2017, conflict broke out between armed groups and the government of the Philippines in Marawi, displacing nearly 360,000 people at the height of the conflict. The U.S. government, through USAID has committed more than $63.6 million (Php3.4 billion) for humanitarian and recovery work in and around Marawi.

In collaboration with the Philippine government, development organizations, civil society, and the private sector, USAID is advancing durable solutions for internally displaced persons by improving their economic and social conditions. USAID’s projects stimulate the economy through supporting small businesses, expanding livelihoods, training displaced youth and adults for workforce readiness, and offering business sustainability training for entrepreneurs formerly operating in Marawi’s Most Affected Area. USAID works with local partners to strengthen social bonds between displaced and host communities through youth sports events, cultural heritage activities, local governance town halls, and small-scale community infrastructure projects.

To bolster the longer-term revitalization of Marawi and its surrounding areas, USAID is continuing to partner with the Philippine government to help restore public services, like water and electricity, and will sustain work with communities to expand economic development, promote peaceful dialogue, and improve health and education systems.

The following are some of the key results to date:

Economic Development, Livelihoods, and Governance:

• More than 2,000 citizens from displaced and host communities are now upskilled in civic engagement.
• USAID has trained more than 330 displaced entrepreneurs in enterprise management, and offered micro-grants to more than 100 displaced entrepreneurs previously located in Marawi’s Most Affected Area so that they can restart their businesses.
• USAID has handed over livelihood micro-grants that have benefitted more than 1,100 citizens from displaced and host communities, as well as social cohesion grants that have benefitted more than 2,200 citizens.
• USAID helped forge partnerships with five private firms (Coca-Cola, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Echostore and Pilmico Foods), leveraging resources to jointly implement livelihood recovery activities.
• USAID partnered with the Bangon Marawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organize the Marawi Business Forum and the Marawi/Lanao Agribusiness Forum, which resulted in partnerships to support the development and expansion of the coffee and abaca industries in the province, reaching around 160 beneficiaries valued at about $92,000.
• USAID constructed and handed over two climate-resilient trading centers in Piagapo and Kapai municipalities for internally displaced entrepreneurs.
• USAID’s programs have facilitated over 50 inter-religious group dialogues and trained more than 200 key leaders from Marawi and the surrounding region on foundational peacebuilding.

Humanitarian Assistance:

• USAID has been installing water and sanitation facilities, promoting good hygiene practices and distributing emergency shelter materials, benefitting over 33,000 internally displaced persons.
• To boost food security, USAID partnered with the World Food Programme to provide nearly 4 million pounds of rice — enough to feed 45,000 people for four months — to displaced families.
• To restart livelihoods, USAID supplied cash grants to 7,000 eligible families to restart businesses and jobs.
• To safeguard vulnerable populations, USAID has established women- and child-friendly spaces to protect them from exploitation and violence, as well as support their psychosocial needs.
• In partnership with the World Food Programme, USAID offered supplementary nutrition for 5,000 children and 6,000 pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• In support of mental health and psychosocial support, USAID partnered with Action Against Hunger to provide psychosocial support services to more than 2,300 beneficiaries.

Youth and Education:

• More than 2,000 Marawi youth — with support from USAID — have completed technical, vocational and life skills training in partnership with the Philippine Department of Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Of this, more than 1,200 youth are equipped for the workforce with national certifications from TESDA.
• Marawi youth beneficiaries of USAID’s programs have organized a youth network for almost 500 youth who are now conducting community service activities such as community clean-ups, hygiene kit distribution, lighting installation, feeding programs for children and school uniform repairing.
• USAID’s project organized a reading program for more than 7,000 learners, strengthened teaching capacities of almost 700 teachers, and provided more than 3,000 teaching manuals and 3,000 workbooks for teachers and students.
• USAID’s project staff have engaged more than 600 religious leaders to promote peace through education curriculum and community learning events.
• USAID helped displaced students to return to school by distributing 6,500 desks for schools where they are enrolled.

Energy:

• USAID, in partnership with the Department of Energy, installed 205 solar street lights in transitional shelter sites around Marawi City, improving safety for almost 8,000 internally displaced persons. To promote sustainability, USAID partnered with Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative to engage residents in the installation of the streetlights and provide training on solar technology, installation and safety.
• USAID installed solar rooftops in four rural health clinics within Marawi City, providing electricity services and ventilation to enable basic services for more than 22,000 patients who use these facilities.

Health:

• USAID helped restore and fortify essential services in 21 health facilities — comprising nearly one third of all health facilities in Marawi and its environs and benefitting about 580,000 people.
• Since the Marawi Siege, USAID’s health programs in and around Marawi have provided more than 26,000 women with services such as prenatal care, skilled deliveries, postpartum care and voluntary family planning. Nearly 2,000 newborns received essential post natal care through USAID assistance.
• USAID screened more than 2,500 internally displaced persons, including 500 children, in evacuation centers for tuberculosis, resulting in the detection and treatment of 190 people with TB.

Water and Sanitation:

• In 2018, USAID’s work expanded access to clean water for more than 7,500 residents in Marawi — a critical basic service that is important to advancing stability in this region.
• In the early days of the conflict, USAID helped restore access to water by distributing 12,000 water containers and nearly 100,000 chlorine tablets to 12,000 families.
• USAID helped Philippine national and Marawi City governments mobilize $4.7 million in Philippine public sector investments to repair and upgrade water system infrastructure.
• USAID strengthened the capacity of 70 staff from the Marawi City Water District and Marawi City government to effectively manage water and sanitation systems.
• USAID completed and turned over a master plan, water safety plan, and seven georesistivity studies to Marawi City Water District and Task Force Bangon Marawi to expand the Water District’s services to seven barangays, benefitting about 23,000 individuals.