It was the darkest hour before dawn.
The sky, a heavy blanket of black, gave no hint of the devastation that was about to unfold.
In the remote village of Kashmir, an area known as Kotli near the Line of Control (LoC), people were deep in their prayers, their children asleep, when the first round of shelling ripped through the silence. The explosions shattered the night, each blast sending shockwaves across the valleys, stirring fear that gripped every heart. The ground shook.
The very air became thick with smoke — deep, choking clouds that made it difficult to breathe, let alone run for safety.
You could hear it: the cries of children, the frantic shouting of mothers trying to gather their little ones, the desperate prayers whispered between explosions.
“Ya Allah, protect us…”
For those living here, war is not a news headline.
It is the sound of their roof collapsing over them.
It is the sight of their cattle, their homes, their very lives — reduced to rubble in seconds.
Kotli’s Night of Horror
On that night, heavy shelling rained down without warning.
The Line of Control became a front line once again, as Indian troops heavily attacked on the line of control.
But it is not soldiers who suffer most — it is the innocent. The soldiers were combat ready, they were prepared to move, duck and dive whenever needed. But its the residents of these areas which suffered harshly.
It is the families who have called these mountains home for generations.
It is the children who dream not of futures in politics or power, but simply of peace.
Ayaan’s Story: A Childhood Lost to War
Ayaan is just 8 years old. But the situation on the line of control is too much for his little heart to bare. He lives in a small, stone and mud house perched on a hilltop in Northern Kotli. The house, passed down from his grandfather, was the only world he knew: a small outdoor space where he played with his sister, a fig tree where he climbed, and a small prayer mat in the corner of the house where his mother taught him how to pray.
When the shelling began, Ayaan’s family scrambled to the only place they thought would be safe — a shallow ditch behind their home. In the pitch darkness, under a rain of artillery, they huddled together, praying.
But a shell landed too close.
The blast hurled Ayaan into the air.
His mother’s cries pierced the smoke as she crawled to him, finding his small body limp, a gash across his head, his leg shattered.
Today, Ayaan lies in a hospital bed in Rawalakot, hooked to machines, his small chest rising and falling in shallow, painful breaths.
His dreams now are not of climbing trees, but of walking again.
His mother sits by his side, clutching his hand, whispering prayers into his ear.
“When will it end?” she asks.
“When will my children be allowed to sleep without fear?”
A Plea for Humanity
We at Kashmir Welfare Foundation cannot stay silent. The relentless attacks and indiscriminate firing across Kashmir must end. Millions of innocent Kashmiri lives — already scarred by decades of suffering — hang in the balance.
We appeal to the leaders, to those with the power to end this devastation: Show restraint. Show humanity. Stop the endless cycle of violence that has destroyed too many homes, too many dreams.
The people of Kashmir — the children like Ayaan — are not pawns on a chessboard. They are living souls, praying each day for peace, yearning only for a life free from the horrors of war.
To our brothers and sisters across the world:
Pray for Kashmir.
Raise your voice for the voiceless.
Support those trapped between two fires, longing for the simple right to live in peace.
As the early morning light finally crept over Kotli, it revealed the ruins left behind: broken homes, weeping mothers, and small footprints in the dust — footprints of children who once ran freely, now halted by the tragedy of conflict.
Stand with Kashmir in Their Darkest Hour
Right now, Kashmir is trembling under the weight of violence, fear, and suffering. Shelling rains down on villages. Families are displaced overnight. Innocent lives — especially children and the elderly — hang in the balance.
At Kashmir Welfare Foundation, we refuse to stand by in silence.
We have activated our Emergency Response Budget — a vital lifeline that allows us to act immediately when disaster strikes.
Through this emergency fund, we are preparing to:
- Set up field hospitals to treat the wounded and save lives.
- Distribute hot meals to families who have lost everything.
- Deliver food packs to the most vulnerable, ensuring no family goes hungry tonight.
We don’t believe in exploiting crises.
We don’t chase headlines.
We act because it’s the right thing to do.
Because when Kashmir bleeds, our hearts bleed too.
This Emergency Budget wasn’t built for fundraising campaigns — it was built for moments like this.
Moments when hesitation costs lives.
Today, we ask you: be the difference.
Help us reach those who are cold, hungry, injured, and terrified.
Your donation to our Emergency Fund will go directly towards life-saving relief on the ground.
🌿 Donate today.
Be the light in Kashmir’s darkest hour.
Stand for humanity. Stand for Kashmir.
May Allah protect the people of Kashmir.
May He bring peace to a land that has known too much sorrow.
Ameen.
