Nangarhar, Afghanistan -- “I saw my two daughters but not my son. That’s when I knew he was trapped among the debris in our flooded house. I didn’t know if he was alive.”

Sajida vividly recalled that horrible day when devastating floods ravaged her village in the eastern region of Afghanistan and claimed many lives. 

When she woke up to dark clouds that day, Sajida thought it was just an ordinary rain on the way. “But everything changed in the blink of an eye as a heavy downpour started and lasted for hours,” she recalled. “The walls and roof of our house collapsed, windows shattered.”

Sajida, 35, escaped the collapsing house with her two daughters. But before she could heave a sigh of relief, she realized that her two-year-old son was nowhere in sight. Sajida cried for help finding her son beneath the debris. Most villagers were also frantically searching for their missing loved ones; still, some came to help Sajida.

"My neighbours tried to help, but the rain was relentless, and the floodwater kept rising. It took five hours to find my son, but by then, he had already died under the debris," Sajida recalled, tears filling her eyes. 

Weeks after the tragedy, Sajida was still overwhelmed by sorrow and trauma. It was during this time that Salma, a psychosocial counsellor from the Mobile Health Team (MHT), met the grieving mother. 

“The day after the flood, our MHT was called to the area," Salma recalled. "When we arrived, the scene was heartbreaking. Most of the houses were destroyed, and many families had lost loved ones." The MHT is supported by UNFPA in partnership with the Government of Australia.

Salma provided Sajida with much-needed comfort and psychosocial support as she struggled to cope with her immense loss. During her interactions with Sajida, the counsellor quickly realized that Sajida needed exceptional support after losing her only son, her home, and all her belongings. “In my initial conversations with her, I listened closely and offered her the guidance and advice she needed,” Salma reflected.

Throughout several visits to the area, Salma made it a priority to check in on Sajida, providing both counselling and medication as needed. “Over time, she became calmer and expressed a desire to focus on caring for her remaining family,” Salma noted.

A few weeks later, with Salma’s support, Sajida looks forward to rebuilding her life in a safer place, determined to protect her family from further tragedy.

"Now, I feel more at peace, knowing that no matter how much I grieve, I can’t return what I have lost. I’m grateful for the support I received from the Mobile Health Team," Sajida shared.