COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Even though it is thousands of miles away, the effects of the
devastating earthquake in Morocco are being felt in central Ohio.

Noura Chenk lived much of her life in Morocco before moving to Columbus about two years ago. Her parents, other family members and friends still live in Morocco. Some
did not survive the earthquake, and she has not heard from others, she said.

“I’m here alone and my family is over there and it’s hard, it’s really hard to see yourself lose all the people that you have in your life and you are sitting outside,” Chenk said. “I need to go there to be with my family and my friends that I still have because I already lost half of my friends.”

Her family’s home was damaged. Her parents, like many others, have been sleeping outside, she said.

“Many children now, they are homeless, and they don’t have their parents, they lost all the people that they have in their families,” she said.

Chenk is going to Morocco this weekend, hoping to help those who have lost their
homes and those children. Her fundraising efforts can be found here.

“I want to tell all the people that live in Ohio to help us because we are already in a horrible situation and every day I’m talking to my family over there, they keep telling me that we need help,” she said. “We cannot do everything but we can help at least a little bit so the people can survive.”

Despite their own home being damaged, Chenk’s father has been helping with rescue efforts and feeding others.

“Every day I talk to my father, he said we lost this one, we lost this one, these people died, these people are in the hospital, the hospitals are full,” she said.

Chenk is flying to Morocco on Sunday. She has not determined how long she will stay there.