“It was Ramadan so we woke up early in the morning for fasting. We prayed and then started getting ready for the day. Then a massive earthquake jolted the earth.”
Habib lost five of his family members that day, as well as his home. Two of his daughters died, one of whom was pregnant. He also lost his 14-year old son and two of his grandchildren.
“I had no one to help me get their bodies out of the rubble. I had to do it on my own. It took me hours to get them out. By that time it was too late. My daughters and grandchildren were dead. My son was still alive but severely injured. He could not survive and died a couple of hours later.
“We had nothing to eat and no shelter. We spent days out on the road under the open sky. It was raining and cold. It was hard to cope, but somehow we survived.”
Islamic Relief provided Habib and his family with atent and food. Before the winter, he was also given atransitional shelter.
“Most of the help came from Islamic Relief, even though it was very difficult to reach this area. The roads were blocked because of the landslides, but once Islamic Relief arrived we did not face any problems in receiving aid.”