MANILA, Philippines?The United Nations has announced that the delivery of food assistance to people displaced by conflicts in Mindanao will be resumed once travel restrictions imposed on its personnel are lifted.

UN Resident Coordinator ad interim Dr. Soe Nyunt-U assured Filipinos on Saturday that the travel restriction to Mindanao for UN-World Food Program personnel was only for the week of July 6 and was a precautionary measure following the spate of bombings in the region.

?The United Nations strives to continuously ensure the safety and security of all staff to allow us to carry out our mission and reach out to targeted beneficiaries,? Nyunt-U said in a statement.

?The United Nations remains committed to supporting the Philippines? efforts in its assistance to Mindanao, with focus on further improving our humanitarian response and long-term development efforts given the complex nature of the current displacement in Mindanao,? he added.

The UN official said the WFP would continue to monitor the situation.

He said that despite the travel restrictions, Mindanao-based staff continued to provide program support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable populations adversely affected by the conflict. Cynthia D. Balana