There are about 1,500 people trapped in the Filipino town of Marawi which has been besieged by Isis linked terrorists.

Almost 100 people have escaped on foot while others escape by swimming across the river. Some Muslim women, in order to help Christians escape the terrorists, have given them their hijabs to use in disguising themselves.

Those who made it out of the besieged town alive are attended to by Medics and one of them has recounted the experience as told by the lucky escapees.

“Some of the stories that stuck were Muslims helping protect Christian workers by letting them borrow a hijab,” said Dr Gioia Ancheta, head of the psychosocial therapy team.

It was revealed that civilians trapped in the town, which is about 60 miles south of Cagayan de Oro, are being held as human shields and are also under attack from bombing assaults by the military who are trying to oust the jihadists. The civilians also face starvation. There are reports that some local residents are so hungry they had “started to eat their blankets”, according to local politician Zia Alonto Adiong, who is managing the relief and rescue efforts.

“Some residents are eating (cardboard) boxes. They just dip it in water to soften the material and eat it,” he said.

Islamic militants stormed Marawi three weeks ago, leaving 290 people dead, including 205 Isis fighters, 58 soldiers and 26 civilians.