On the night of 8 to 9 September 2023, an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude struck Morocco. Its epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains. As there are few physical or mental health services available in this hard-to-reach region, HI has been assisting the survivors of the earthquake since the end of 2023 through the organisation of mobile care units. These units travel around the regions affected by the earthquake providing support to the population and running listening and sharing sessions where people can tell their stories. Naima Boutekmezt, 35, lives in Tajgalt. She has taken part in these sessions and told HI her story.
Disaster struck in the dead of night
That night was horrific. When the earth shook, a wall in our house collapsed on top of me, trapping my hips and legs. My husband tried to help me but, at that moment, I thought I was going to die. I couldn't move my body... I was buried, my chest was covered in earth and rubble and I felt a huge weight on my legs. At first, my husband couldn't free me; it was too much for him, so he called for help to get me out. Then they laid me down on the side of the road to wait for help. That's when I passed out. When I came to, I was in hospital.
When I woke up, all I could think about was death; all I could see before my eyes was death... I was extremely shocked and I still thought I was going to die. I started reciting the Shahada (Islamic declaration of faith). The doctors explained to me that I had been brought to the hospital in a serious condition. They told me that I was going to need a lot of rest and would have to stay in bed when I got home. I spent 3 months lying on my back, and despite the painkillers and injections, I was in pain everywhere. It took a long time for me to start walking again with the help of crutches.
Support from loved ones to help cope with the distress and hardship of everyday life
After the earthquake, all I did for weeks was cry. Now I'm still in pain; I still can't carry anything heavy or do the housework like I used to. I'm under the care of a doctor in Taroudant who has prescribed rehabilitation sessions, but I can't afford them. The treatment is expensive. It's a lot for me, and my husband doesn't work anymore either. Everyday life is hard, but I know I'm on the road to recovery.
I'm especially worried about my two daughters. I can’t look after them properly. My sister has helped me a lot and still helps me a lot. When I try to do ordinary chores around the house, I can feel my hands shaking and I lose my grip. It's a good thing she's here, because she looks after my daughters when I'm not strong enough. Without her and my husband, who is also very supportive, I couldn't do anything.
A lasting trauma for the young woman
Today, if I'm honest, I'm not in the best shape and I'm not the person I used to be. I've become very tense, especially with my daughters. When they don't listen to me, I regularly have anxiety attacks where I can't breathe. It's as if something is blocking my chest...
Everything is very difficult, even now. I have no patience, I don't enjoy anything and nothing matters to me. I've changed a lot. I used to go out a lot. I travelled with my children during the holidays, and now I don't like going out. All I want to do is sleep and rest in the corner of the tent, even though I sleep very badly and have nightmares all the time. I can still hear the sound of the earthquake in my head, and I wake up with a start, sobbing and gasping for breath. When my husband asks me what's going on, I tell him I can feel the earth moving or the ceiling falling in on me. But I know I'm the only one who can hear it, that it's all in my head.
Despite everything, I'm feeling better than before, thank God. I hope I continue to get better in the future. I know I still need psychological support and rehabilitation sessions, but I'm no longer bedridden and I'm becoming more and more independent.
Like many other earthquake survivors in her village, Naima has benefited from the mental health and psychosocial support activities organised by the mobile care units run by Handicap International and its Moroccan partners, Migrations & Développement and the Community-Based Rehabilitation Network.
