SAGUIARAN, Lanao del Sur - Amid a sea of evacuees jostling for aid, Norayda Karem felt something hard hit her head as she tried to grab one of the clothes being distributed by a donor.

Karem's 16-year old daughter Norjena saw her mother fall down, apparently dizzy after she got hit in her head. She immediately screamed for help.

With over 400 families packed in the covered basketball court of the Saguiaran Municipal compound, there was no shortage of volunteers willing to carry Karem to the nearby clinic, where she was given first aid.

The problem here is not the shortage of people willing to help, but the shortage of relief goods for the evacuees.

This is the temporary home for evacuees who escaped the fighting in Marawi City. There are around 3,600 other families scattered around Saguiaran, bringing the total number to 4,000 families and almost doubling the total population of the fourth-class municipality to around 24,000 people.

The conflict that started on May 23 reached a full month on Friday, with the end still nowhere in sight as Maute forces scattered in four remaining barangays of the city continued to evade government troops.

Aerial bombings and ground attacks have been relentless daily, even going on into the night. But every day is a new start as enemy snipers continue to target government troops in previously cleared areas.

The government said at least 280 suspected terrorists have been killed and 69 men on the government side have died fighting. At least 26 civilians have meanwhile died by enemy fire, according to the military.

The uncertainty of when the siege will end has resulted in a humanitarian crisis as the conflict entered its second month.

More than 230,000 Marawi residents who have fled the conflict zone are now scattered in neighboring towns and provinces.

Marawi City, once Lanao del Sur's bustling commercial center, is in ruins. And the loss is felt even in nearby towns that used to depend on Marawi City for commerce, like Saguiran.

"Karamihan dito doon nagtatrabaho sa Marawi," said Saguiaran Mayor Macmod Mute.

Now, aside from providing relief to his own constituents displaced by the war, Mute has to take care of the evacuees.

"Ang problema kasi dito, 'yung mga evacuees, iniisip kapag hindi sila matulog dito (evacuation center), hindi sila mabibigyan ng relief," said Mute. "'Yung nagdo-donate naman kasi, dini-diretso sa evacuees."

The scuffle where Karem figured is a good example. There was a donation for clothes for about 60 people, and it was dropped directly in the covered court where there were some 2,000 people.

"Ang gusto ko lang sana ay pareho ang trato, sa home-based o nasa evacuation center," Mute said.

Mute said he wants to centralize all aid and distribute it only when the stock is enough for 4,000. Right now, his office receives donations from the DSWD, the Philippine Red Cross and other non-government and private organizations.

"Walang problema kay Mayor (Mute), hindi niya pinabayaan ang bakwit (evacuees), wi-nelcome niya kami na parang pamilya," Marawi resident Acmad said of Mayor Mute.

Acmad, who withheld his last name for security reasons, came to Saguiaran with his second wife and their five children.

Right now, they are entirely dependent on relief goods for their daily meals, as are the rest of families in the evacuation center.

Despite the difficult conditions, Usudan said he has no choice but to stay. What he laments is that his brother Muslims, members of the Maute Group, were the ones that brought the situation on them.

"Kapwa nila Muslim, sinisira. Paano 'yung mga bata, 'yung mga babae, 'yung mga namatay diyan," Usudan said sobbing as he recalled their escape. "Ang sama ng loob namin sa mga ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), bakit nila ginaganito kapwa nila Muslim? Un-Islamic 'yan."

Even with the holy month of Ramadan coming to a close, a day traditionally celebrated with a feast, the Eid al-Fitr, Acmad and the rest of the evacuees can only think of their day-to-day survival for now.

"Bahala na si Allah," he said when asked if he would even observe Eid.

SOLUTION 3 MONTHS AWAY

Mute said he met with officials of the region and affected local governments last week to plan a long-term response to the crisis. In attendance were Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman and Lanao del Sur Vice Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. The plan is to put up a tent city.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has said it was looking at setting up tent cities if the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) further swells.

But Mute estimates it would take at least three months before a tent city could be set up. He cites questions on funding, which province to set it up, and the exact lot where to put it as factors that may delay the implementation of this plan.