MADINAH, 8 February 2005 — The floodwaters receded days ago around Madinah, but what it has left throughout its course is mud, still too wet to work and covering what is left of what was in its path. Mud and misery are what remain.
The village of Al-Yatama, 80 kilometers south of Madinah, is still a disaster area two weeks after what is being called the worst flood in 30 years. In its wake are hundreds of homeless people, destroyed homes, ravaged farms and dead herds of livestock.
This reporter visited Al-Yatama and got an overview of the destruction from the survivors, glad to be alive but heartbroken by their losses.
As you enter Al-Yatama from Al-Hijra Road, the mud is piled everywhere. Municipal workers are still working to reopen the road that connects Al-Yatama village with Madinah. Further down the road leading to Al-Yatama, you pass what once were farms. Some of the date trees are gone, as are some of the farms. Some workers are beginning to take stock of what remains and are beginning to plow. As most farm equipment have been damaged or destroyed, the growers rent trucks and tractors from villagers, who are happy to oblige.
After two weeks, most of the farms are still not dry. The weight of a shovelful of earth increases dramatically when you add water. It makes cleanup slow going at best, impossible at worst. Muhammad Saleh had lemon and palm trees on his farm a few weeks ago. Now they are gone, and his orchards are barren fields of mud.
“I cannot do anything to the farm because it is covered with mud,” the Pakistani farm worker said. “The only thing that I can do at this time is wait until the mud is dry. Then I will try to fix what can be fixed.”
As you come to a huge chasm, it looks more as if there’s been an earthquake than a flood. The crack in the earth is 300 meters long and, in some parts, it is 7 meters deep.
While the losses for many have been devastating, some people who got advance warning were able to save their livestock.
“We had relatives in our house one day before the flood,” said Muhammad Haroon. “The next morning they went to visit other relatives 7 kilometers from Al-Yatama to one of the farms. Soon they returned in their car to tell us that there was a flood warning, and we needed to evacuate the area. We escaped with farm animals to higher ground.”
Haroon learned firsthand of the power of nature. “I had to return to the farm quickly to secure the house,” Haroon said. “Then I heard the sound of the flood approaching.” The makeshift dyke broke.
“The flood destroyed the sand barriers and entered the farm,” Haroon said. “I was running, but the floodwater was faster than me and dragged me 3 kilometers from the farm. I held onto a tree. I stayed there for hours until floodwaters subsided. I got down from the tree and walked for a kilometer to a nearby farm where I called for help.”
Some have more than dreams to mend. “The flood broke my arm,” another farm worker said. “I was in a terrible situation for a day. My relatives thought that I was dead because I disappeared with the rain floods. My parents were grief-stricken thinking I had been killed. I was rescued a day later by the Fire Department.”
And the mud — and the misery — remain. “Until now I haven’t been able to return to my farm because it is covered with mud,” he said. “I lost everything, including my house, my trees and my animals. I hope that I can return soon to rebuild what has been destroyed.”
