Red Cross fears for civilians in south Philippines

Dominik Stillhart, International Red Cross deputy director of operations, urged both sides to comply with international humanitarian law "to spare civilian communities and allow delivery of relief assistance."

Stillhart told reporters in southern Cotabato city that the Red Cross is increasing its relief operations in the southern Mindanao region, which he said was suffering from its worst clashes since 2003.

The Philippine government's disaster agency says more than half a million people in the region have been displaced or have lost their homes and livelihoods since violence erupted last month following an aborted peace accord between the government and rebels.

Stillhart said he saw the "deteriorating situation" of those displaced when he visited evacuation sites in North Cotabato, one of the provinces affected by the fighting.

Stephen Anderson, the U.N. World Food Program country director for the Philippines, said Friday that his agency has increased its food aid to 1,700 tons, enough to feed 410,000 people for a month.

A peace deal to end decades of Muslim rebellion seemed within reach in early August after negotiators from the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front initialed a highly contentious accord that sought to expand a Muslim autonomous region by adding more than 700 villages, subject to the approval of residents.

But Christian politicians in areas that would be affected challenged the deal in the Supreme Court, which ordered officials not to sign the agreement. That triggered rebel attacks on predominantly Christian towns in Mindanao in which dozens of civilians were shot and hacked to death.

Government forces launched air and ground assaults targeting the three rebel commanders who led the brutal raids.

The rebel attacks and subsequent military assault have killed at least 58 civilians, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported Friday.