Survivors of the Marawi conflict share their stories
The Kapitan family
When the armed conflict started in Marawi City, heavy shots were fired at the back of the Kapitan family’s house in Basak Malutlut. Junail, Asral and their 11 children, whose ages range from 2 months to 17 years old, were trapped in their house as the fighting worsened.
“There were so many men in black, maybe more than 30, surrounding our house. We heard rapid gunshots and aerial bombs day and night. Half of our house was destroyed. We were hungry and thirsty. We attempted many times to escape but we were so afraid,” Asral said.
After three days, the Kapitans abandoned their home to seek safety, risking their lives. “It was a horrible scene leaving Marawi. It was the first time for my children to see machine guns and heavily armed men,” Junail said. The family is now staying at Madrasah Al-Khairiya, a school in Balo-i, Lanao del Sur. UNICEF provided latrines, clean water and hygiene kits to the 73 families staying here. Junail earns PHP300 from installing latrines and water storage systems since the emergency assistance started.
“I don’t expect this situation to calm down in the next few weeks, but we remain hopeful that we can rebuild our lives at the soonest time possible,” he said.
The widows of Marawi
Lawanda Medico (second from left), 60, lost her husband in one of the explosions that hit Marawi City. “May 24 was the hardest day of my life as I had to bury my husband. I felt so alone amid the rapid shots fired everywhere,” she said.
Three days later she left for Tubod to join her children, who fled Marawi City earlier, before their father was killed. “My children started to look for their father. I couldn’t look at them in the eye. Not even a word came out of my mouth,” she said. Her children only learned about their father’s death after her eldest son broke the news to them. “Instantly I have become the father and mother of six children. Our living conditions are difficult in the evacuation center, and my daughter Halida is about to give birth soon,” she said.
Displaced and living with a disability
“Imagine being forced to leave your home, off to a journey that involves evading gunfire from different directions,” said Cipriana Grifaldian, 70. She carried her 9-year-old grandson John, who has cerebral palsy, from their home in Marawi City to seek safety in Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur. They joined 23 other members of their family in a packed van that took them to the Maria Cristina evacuation center in Iligan City. “We’re not here by choice. Imagine you have a family member with a disability who depends on you,” said Cipriana, who acts as John’s guardian after his mother remarried and started a new family.
John and other children in the evacuation center play in a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space, where displaced children can receive psychosocial support to help them recover from what they have experienced. The Department of Health provided John with a wheelchair and health workers assigned to the evacuation center attend to his special needs.
“We have not smiled in the past weeks, but now this handsome boy puts a smile on our faces. We know our situation is challenging. The basics we need are not readily available here, but John still laughs. He has fun with us when it’s play time,” Cipriana said.
A single mother’s determination
Fleeing the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi was another challenge for Minatara Rakim, a single mother of four (left in photo). “We didn’t have a good life in Marawi but our situation today is more heartbreaking,” she said. Her husband left her when she was pregnant with her youngest son Mohammad, who’s now 3 months old.
“Despite this, I don’t want to end up useless,” she said. Minatara and her cousin sell food and drinks from a makeshift stall in the evacuation center. Their small business started with only a few packs of cigarettes. “Smoking has already been banned inside the evacuation center, so we ventured into selling anything, from fresh vegetables to ice-cold drinks. This is the only way I know to generate income for my family. Their health is my wealth,” she said.
Out of school, out of a job
Marawi was home for Arnel, 17. He dropped out of school after grade 3, but eventually found work at a local grocer in the city where he has been working for two years already. “I know the importance of education but we were so poor, we had no education. I still don’t know what the future holds for me,” he said.
Arnel and his sister Mercy are now staying at the Buru-un evacuation center in Iligan City. When the government and humanitarian organizations started putting up hygiene and sanitation facilities, Arnel volunteered to help.
“I ensure proper disposal of garbage, and help maintain the safety and cleanliness of the toilets and washing areas. I am grateful for this assignment because I get to help people become aware of how diseases spread because of the lack of hygiene and proper sanitation,” he said.
By Rosa May Maitem
UNICEF is on the ground in Mindanao responding to the needs of children and families affected by the Marawi conflict. Donate now to support the ongoing emergency response: https://donate.unicef.ph
