(Taroudant, Morocco) Is there a greater sorrow than losing a child? No doubt that of seeing him die under the rubble of his house. Zahra lost her two children the evening of the earthquake. She cried so much in despair that she speaks today in a thin whisper of voice.
“ Salam aleykoum, marhaba [bonjour, bienvenue] “, she barely articulates. Since the death of her children Asma, 11, and Ibrahim, 5, she has been in shock. As she is unable to take care of herself, her sisters and friends have taken over. They dress her and wash her. She wants us to talk about her little ones. Is it to give them an existence that they no longer have? While trying to help them, she injured herself. His body is covered in scratches and bruises.
PHOTO CERISE SUDRY-LE DÛ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Zahra, 28, lost her two children the evening of the earthquake that shook Morocco.
Her case is unfortunately not isolated, but the fact that she expresses her suffering, particularly through crying, is rather a “good sign”, notes Sevan Minassian, child psychiatrist and family therapist. For him, “being sad or crying are normal modes of expression”.
He emphasizes other symptoms which should alert us such as “stupor, not reacting at all or being very agitated, being in denial” or even not acting in phase with what is happening in reality.
On-the-ground support
Zineb el Mandoubi travels as coach and interpreter, because in the affected areas, some only speak the Amazigh language.
In one village, an imam began making calls to prayer at no fixed time. Elsewhere, a girl lost her father, buried before she could see him. She continues to call him and bring him his clothes to the cemetery.
Zineb el Mandoubi, coach and interpreter
With a group from the Moroccan Association for Psychological Support and Assistance (AMAAP), Mohamed Walid, psychologist, made a first trip to three villages, Ait Taleb, Abernoss and Riyad (all about twenty kilometers from Taroudant) to make an assessment on the ground. He noted disorders such as “fear, anxiety, isolation, fear of death”.
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House under construction invested by three families in the village of Ait Taleb
In theory, for a month, we are talking about acute stress, a sort of equivalent of post-traumatic stress which occurs afterwards. However, depending on personal histories, already vulnerable individuals may develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress triggered by this new event. This is what Mohamed Walid was able to observe. These symptoms include, for example, anxious hypervigilance, reliving (reexperiencing a smell, a noise, sensory re-experiencing of an event), behavioral disorders, anxiety, anger, rage, guilt, memory problems and concentration, etc.
The psychologist explains that residents still cannot understand what happened. “Some people didn’t even know what an earthquake was,” he said, “so we need an awareness system. » Sélim Guessoum, child psychiatrist, adds that the case of the earthquake is particular in the sense that the traumatic event itself is not really over, since there can be aftershocks. “The problem is that the state of hypervigilance and the worry that it will come back is somehow adapted to reality, because that’s what they’re told. »
Imagine the repair
All the experts interviewed agree on one point: the first step in therapy is to restore the feeling of security. Being able to benefit from a reassuring, calm environment is crucial. Which is currently far from being the case.
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A woman walks in front of the ruins of a house in Ait Taleb. The village was almost completely destroyed.
The loss of “home” is also that of the place of reference which protects against external dangers. Sélim Guessoum continues: “When we imagine an attack or an accident, people often then find themselves in a place where they can breathe, and in safety. There, this place does not exist. » For comparison, adds the child psychiatrist, “a simple move is considered in psychology as a stress factor, even when it is happy”.
Khadija, 14, lived on the first floor of a house that was reduced to dust. In the pile of rubble, we can see the ornaments of a ceiling, the Renault logo of a sunken car, the bars of a bed and some personal effects. On the ground floor, an entire family died. Both parents, two children.
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The house where 14-year-old Khadija lived was destroyed.
As for her, Khadija now lives in a tent with her whole family, right next to her house. “I cry every night, I’m so sad,” she said, trying to smile. In the villages, some children look lost and haggard. They stare into space, as if they weren’t really there. Soukaina, 12, whose house was preserved, had the impression of experiencing “the end of the world” and burst into tears when she spoke about her school: “Some classmates are injured, others have died. »
In the opinion of Mayssa’ El-Husseini, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, children are particularly vulnerable and they depend on the reaction of adults. “What will reassure them or on the contrary give them the feeling that they are exposed is the state of the parents, so it is essential to help them so that they can take care of the children. »
A disaster of this magnitude gives them the impression that their environment is not protective, that it can be dangerous, so trust must be restored.
Mayssa’ El-Husseini, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst
Generally speaking, social support is also a decisive element. It helps limit or reduce the risk of trauma. The exceptional solidarity shown by Moroccans is therefore a very positive element, beyond providing the assistance necessary for survival.
At the beginning of October, Mohamed Walid plans to return to the three villages already visited. With a team, he will begin therapies. It will take collective mobilization with complementary teams of doctors and psychologists so that the affected populations can imagine a future.