MANILA, Philippines -- Despite the resumption of hostilities in some areas of Mindanao, the Australian government said it will not stop its humanitarian projects in the southern Philippines, an official said Monday.

On Monday, AusAID gave an additional P32 million to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to help reduce the risks of natural disasters in the country.

In an interview after a briefing on the financial support, Titon Mitra, Minister Counselor for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) admitted the security situation has prompted them to slow down activities in some areas.

?The current situation obviously does have some impact in terms of security. Now, programs [are] a little bit more difficult to deliver. But I should point out that the incidents are quite localized,? Mitra said.

?Where the situation warrants a slowdown of activities because of hostilities, clearly it?s difficult for us to implement programs. But as our programs are spread across Mindanao, those hostilities don?t affect all our programs, so we have to calibrate our delivery depending on where the hostilities are,? Mitra said.

Mitra said almost half of the P4 billion AusAID has given has been spent on humanitarian projects in Mindanao.

AusAID is coordinating with the Department of Education to draw up programs to train teachers and develop curriculums, enhance Muslim education, and school-based management, Mitra said.

It will also be launching a five-year, $100-million road maintenance and rehabilitation program in Mindanao.

AusAID also funds training in conflict sensitivity for troops of the 6th Infantry Division and Marine Corps, Mitra said.

?So, it?s helping troops on the ground, particularly officers, understand the dynamics behind the conflict, [the] history behind [the conflict],? to allow them to be more effective in dealing with communities, Mitra said.

The money given by AusAID on Monday will benefit the NDCC?s Collective Strengthening of Community Awareness of Natural Disasters (CSCAND) program, which coordinates efforts of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the National Mapping and Resources Authority, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in promoting disaster risk reduction.