United Nations Radio

The UN children's agency (UNICEF) says it will spend half a million dollars in the next three months to help children displaced by nearly two months of fighting in the southern Philippines.

UNICEF says the money will be used in ensuring the safety and unity of families displaced in the fighting between government troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels in the strife-torn Mindanao region.

UNICEF's representative in Manila, Vanessa Tobin, says "It is estimated that half a million people have been affected by the latest fighting in Mindanao and ...more than half of these are children."

She says a recent UN assessment mission in Mindanao noted the urgent need to focus on creating a stable, secure environment for children as well as water and sanitation facilities in the evacuation centres.

She adds that the UN mission also found out that some of the children showed signs of distress as a result of prolonged fighting and displacement.

UNICEF says at least 10 children have been killed since the fighting erupted in August when the rebels seized villages and attacked towns.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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