At a govt shelter in Chaman Park. (Express Photo: Abhinav Saha)

Sitting in a room swarming with women, her legs tucked under, Raziya looks like just another riot survivor. But the 22-year-old is facing other struggles too.

With her hip affected by polio, Raziya is unable to walk and needs to be carried around by family members. When her home was attacked on February 24, her family was among the only ones who could not flee.

“For 36 hours after that, we couldn’t move. My father is away, and my brother is younger and not strong enough to pick me up. We were so scared that we switched off the lights and put our phones on silent. We didn’t even use the washroom so that no sound was made,” she said.

Her mother Haneefa (60) ended up urinating in her salwar — one she couldn’t change out of for nearly two days until they knocked on a random door in Chaman Park and found refuge. On the morning of February 26, much before dawn, the family escaped when Raziya’s nephew came to pick her up.

Still at Chaman Park, Raziya’s troubles aren’t over. The day she fled from her home was when she started menstruating. While relief material from local NGOs ensured that she got sanitary pads on time, there were other issues. “I can’t go to the toilet by myself. I need my sister’s help. She has to clean up after me. Since this is somebody else’s home, I also don’t feel comfortable bathing. So I haven’t taken a bath since we got here,” Raziya said.

Her mother is concerned this could affect her daughter’s health.

Several women are facing similar issues of clothing and personal hygiene. Rukhsar (23), a primary school teacher at Rajdhani Public School, which was burnt in the riots, said she has taken a bath only once since February 26, when she escaped home leaving all her belongings behind.

Noorish (24) said that while she had been changing clothes since she was displaced from her home on February 24, there was a dearth of undergarments. For eight days now, she has been wearing the same pair of undergarments.

At a government-run relief camp in Shri Ram Colony, a woman who escaped from her home in Bhajanpura, with three young children and without her husband, is also facing the same issue. “When I was running with my kids, my kurta tore from the side. Even at such a time I had to stop and cover myself with a dupatta. As a woman I had to ensure my safety,” said the woman, who did not wish to be named.

In the relief camp, while all kinds of relief material is provided, there are issues she continues to face. “They are providing clothes and undergarments too, but since I’m a little plump I couldn’t find any undergarments for my size. I have been rinsing and reusing the same pair,” she said.