The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said its Field Office (FO) in the Caraga Region has extended immediate assistance to families affected by a landslide that occurred in Barangay Siana in Mainit town, Surigao del Norte last 11 May.

"The DSWD, through our FO Caraga, was able to distribute over P2 million worth of food and non-food items (FNIs) to the affected families. These include family food packs (FFPs), hygiene kits, sleeping kits, kitchen kits, and family kits," DSWD Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said.

Aside from providing immediate relief aid, Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson, said the DSWD FO Caraga also conducted an assessment of the 266 landslide-hit families in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) last Sunday, 12 May.

Some 241 families or 952 persons are currently staying in four evacuation centers in the municipalities of Mainit and Tubod, Surigao del Norte, while 25 families or 81 individuals opted to temporarily stay with their relatives or friends.

"We assure the public that communication lines of our field office will remain open to the affected municipality to provide additional resource augmentation or technical assistance to the affected local government units (LGUs)," Dumlao said.

The DSWD Field Office-Caraga continues to coordinate with the concerned LGUs as more internally displaced individuals seek temporary shelter at the evacuation centers.