Rescued kids tell tale of life inside Marawi war zone

MARAWI CITY, Philippines – Amaliah Usman Jamail is just 9 years old, but she has survived one of the scariest situations in her life – staying inside the Marawi conflict zone for 9 days.

When the Maute Group attacked Marawi on May 23, Amaliah was just playing outside their sari-sari store in Barrio Green, near Amai Pakpak Medical Center, site of one of the fiercest fight between government troops and the extremists.

Amaliah, her brother Amar, 16, and sister Jamela, 17, were rescued by soldiers on Tuesday, May 30, and were brought to the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol’s health center.

At the slightest sound of gunfire, Amaliah would tremble, her eyes swelling with tears.

Wearing a jacket and hijab, Amaliah stays at the corridor, while Amar watches over Jamela who suffers from severe dehydration.

Amar, an incoming grade 10 student, said that their parents wanted them all to stay in their home, because they feel safe there.

With their main gate locked and the perimeter secured, the family took refuge in their two-story home.

“Our parents wanted us all to be together, so we stayed,” he said.

Amidst air strikes and gunfire last Thursday, May 25, as government forces retook Amai Pakpak Medical Center, the family huddled together at the ground floor of their house.

“We can see the fire outside. We were so scared,” Amar said.

The family was well prepared even before the siege started, as it was also the start of Ramadan. “We have a sari-sari store and we stored food, so my parents figured, we can wait it out,” he said.

Amar added that two days after the siege started, their neighbors started to try break into their home. “They were probably looking for food, but we don’t know,” he said.

But things started to change when Jamela suddenly became sick. She started to vomit and was having diarrhea. “She was beginning to look sick that when my elder brother saw the army, he ran towards them and asked for help,” Amar said.

The rescue team, after getting their clearance from the military, came over and took the 3 of them, while their parents and their elder brother and sister chose to stay home, as the area has been cleared of extremists.

Fire officer 2 Maria Estrellieta Lara, a nurse and a fire fighter from the Lanao del Sur Bureau of Fire, took care of Jamela.

Lara herself is a displaced person. She said that she grew up in Marawi and is a Christian. She took her family to Lanao del Norte on the day the siege started and came back to serve.

“Jamela was severely dehydrated when she arrived here,” Lara said.

Lara said Jamela’s condition stabilized on Wednesday, May 31, but is still under watch as she is still weak. “We put her on an intravenous solution, and she has consumed already one bag. She’s stabilizing but she still needs to recover,” Lara added.

“Amaliah is also a patient here. She also suffered from dehydration, but not as bad as Jamela,” Lara added.

Lara is also looking after a Maranao woman who suffers from hypoglycemia. “She collapsed while fasting and she hits her head on the ground,” Lara said.

She said the Jamail siblings will be staying at the health center under the watch of the Provincial Social Welfare Department.

Amar said that he and their parents are sad that they have to part ways, “but my papa said that it is for Jamela and us.”

Amar, who is able to charge his cellphone, said that he is able to contact his friends through social media and that he is happy that they have made it out. “I am happy to see that they made it out,” Amar said. – Rappler.com