When 12-year-old Muhammad Nabi fled his village in Buner he had no time to take any possessions with him. When he arrived in the Tarakai camp in Swabi all he had with him were the clothes he was wearing, which are now torn and dirty.
Muhammad, his mother and nine siblings are living in a large tent that they share with a number of other families. During the day this tent becomes unbearably hot and with so many people living together, the threat of disease is high.
Helicopters overhead
“I was helping my mother with the chores at home when we heard the sound of helicopters overhead. We were scared and rushed from our house,” said Muhammad. “We left our village and walked for six hours in the mountains with no food or water.”
“We were exhausted but finally came to a road where a vehicle took us to Swabi. It has been a week since we came to this camp. I can’t go to school here and there is nowhere to play. It is not like home.”
We were happy
“Every time I hear a helicopter I get very scared,” said Muhammad. “All the children feel like this. We talk to each other about how we feel scared but also about our lives back in our villages where we were happy.
“My best friend back home was called Sher Wali. I have no idea where he is as I haven’t seen him in days; I miss him so much.”
Heavy firing
Muhammad’s mother Kher Bibi said, “Muhammad Nabi had been helping me at home and we were about to have our breakfast when we heard heavy firing and the sound of helicopters above us.”
A safe place
“We rushed from the house to try and find a safe place,” Kher Bibi continued. “We ran to the field; I did not even have my head covered and had no shoes on. When we came to the camp we had nothing but the clothes we were wearing.”
“Life was difficult even before this happened. My husband died of a heart attack five years ago and we have been surviving on his small pension since then. But now we have no income at all.”
Live in peace
“What I want the most is a home where my children can live in comfort and happiness. But here in this tent in this camp, it is so hot and the hygiene conditions are not good,” she said.
“We have no idea what will happen in the coming days. All we want is peace in our area and once that happens we would like to go back to our homes.”