A home of her own

Beor Jan was out fetching firewood when the earthquake struck. She rushed back to her home and found her nephew and her neighbours in tears. Everyone was in shock, crying and praying.

On September 24th, 2019, an earthquake of 5.8 magnitude hit Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan. The Mirpur district — where Beor and her son lived — registered 40 deaths and 1,268 injuries along with widespread property and livestock devastation.

The days after the earthquake proved challenging, according to Beor.

“We all were afraid of aftershocks,” she said.

Beor is a 56-year-old widow. Before the earthquake, her only son worked at the market, and when he was home, he looked after their herd of goats.

Beor had always been able to provide the basic necessities for herself and her son, and they had kind neighbours who would offer support now and then.

Her house consisted of one room and a toilet, but it was a home to call her own, and now her only shelter was gone.

The majority of the other homes in her remote village in Pakistan were damaged, but hers was completely destroyed.

“Nothing was left,” said Beor.

She called her son who was working at the market at the time. One of her neighbours went to the market to bring him back home, and another neighbour let them sleep in their house temporarily.

One of the targets of Islamic Relief’s humanitarian efforts in Pakistan after the earthquake was to provide emergency shelter for displaced people by distributing winterized tents to all those who had lost their homes.

Islamic Relief distributed 269 winterized tents, providing weather appropriate shelter for a total of 1883 people. Beor was one of them.

“I am very thankful to Islamic Relief and Humanitarian Coalition,” said Beor, who once again has a little home of her own.