Two months have passed since the devastating floods that “wiped out” Donja Jablanica, where 19 people lost their lives, and numerous families were left without homes and loved ones.
Hanadi Maslo lost what was most precious to her – a baby. She was eight months pregnant when the torrent swept away the house she lived in with her husband and his family.
The water, rocks, and debris carried them hundreds of meters, and all but the baby survived.
In the aftermath of this tragic loss and her injuries, Hanadi spent the past period recovering at the “Dr. Safet Mujic” Cantonal Hospital in Mostar. Other family members were also hospitalized there due to the injuries they sustained.
Hanadi said that today they are all doing well and feel fine.
“What happened, happened; one must continue living. Life hasn’t ended. God gave us a chance to live, and we have to move on. In the hospital, I had psychological support, and the physiotherapists did their part as they should. Everyone made sure we were well,” Hanadi emphasized.
She explained that she accepted the loss of her child as God’s will.
“My faith was my greatest support. I realized that it had to be this way, that her mission in this world was to save me. If she hadn’t been in my womb, I wouldn’t be alive today. She was supposed to be our first child, but if God’s will, we will have children. I believe that God will bring us joy,” Hanadi explained.
The house they lived in was flattened, with only two pieces of rebar sticking out of the ground as a reminder of what was once their home.
“My husband and I are currently staying with a cousin in Mostar, while my father-in-law and family are near Jablanica. As for assistance, neither the state institutions contacted me nor my father-in-law, who owned the house. Only Pomozi.ba helped because I fall into the category of those who lost a family member. I was in contact with them, and they gave me a donation, but there are still no concrete solutions – everything is just talk, no action. They mentioned plans to build an apartment building, but people do not want to live there because they had their own homes, yards, and gardens. No one will agree to live in an apartment. We’ve all found shelter with relatives or friends, but it’s not the same as being in your own home,” Hanadi said.
Floods in Donja Jablanica
Hanadi was in her eighth month of pregnancy when she lost her baby. She was found injured, wearing only an undershirt, hundreds of meters away from the house.
Furthermore, Hanadi and her husband have no intention of ever returning to Donja Jablanica.
“It’s difficult – there are traumas, immense sadness. Even now, here near the mosque, there’s sadness, it’s hard. We’ll look for land near Mostar and build a house there. We worked seasonally on Hvar, and the tragedy happened just as we returned. Now, any kind of help is welcome,” Hanadi appealed, Faktor writes.
Photo: Facebook/Hanadi Maslo
