(ECHO) – Liling’s eyes moisten as she recalls the day she had to flee her remote village in the southern Philippines, after her small community received threats from an armed group operating in the area. “We had to leave so quickly, we didn’t have time to take our things, not even enough food,” recounts the mother of three. “We were so scared to come across armed men that we didn’t take the main path, we tried to cut through the jungle. It was a very hard walk, and rain was pouring so hard, we wrapped the small children in plastic bags so they wouldn’t get sick. It took us the full day to reach the nearest town, but the elderly and some sick people couldn’t keep up, so they ended up sleeping on the side of the path, in the rain. Everyone fell sick, it was a horrible experience.”
