World Focus

Returning to ground zero: Marawi struggles to rebuild

One year after militants occupied Marawi city, its residents are slowly rebuilding

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On May 23, 2017, about a thousand militants stormed Marawi and claimed the city for a "caliphate". When the siege ended five months later, the city was reduced to dust and rubble. Around 100,000 residents have since returned to Marawi.
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In just one year, Ms Sohailah Usman lost everything - her large, two-storey house and an assortment of small businesses she used to run in this city.

The district where her home once stood is now called "ground zero".

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 22, 2018, with the headline Returning to ground zero: One year after militants occupied Marawi city, residents are slowly rebuilding. Subscribe