One year after the battle for Marawi began with a firefight between the Philippines military and a homegrown ISIS outfit bent on creating a caliphate, more than 230,000 residents of the southern city, or most of its population, remain displaced, according to humanitarian organizations.
The siege ended last October. And while President Rodrigo Duterte declared the capital of Lanao del Sur province free from “terrorist influences,” few have been able to move back to the ruins of their battle-scarred homes.
“Efforts to rehabilitate Marawi and assist its people must be stepped up to reduce the suffering of thousands of those who were displaced over the past year,” said Pascal Porchet, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Philippines. “The efforts are there, but these must match the growing needs of those who face prolonged displacement and are close to despair.”
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