Hiba has fled the conflict in Syria with her daughter and her severely disabled son, following the destruction of her home. The breakdown in healthcare in Syria meant that Hiba was unable to access the treatment and medicines her son needed. His condition is worsening. Here is Hiba’s story in her own words:
“Hospitals in Syria are being targeted by shells. The one I took my son to for physiotherapy sessions is not operating anymore. Some were hit by shells. Others were untouched but the roads were too dangerous for us to travel to the hospitals anyway. We stay at home, we call the doctor, but we can never reach him.”
“How do I feel?
Any mother’s heart would break seeing her son in this state. I am helpless. When I see him tired, I wish it was me instead. He gets stiff and faints; his eyes stare…this is very hard for me. Sometimes I cry, but I can’t do anything.”
“Once the shells started and we ran…I couldn’t take my son’s wheelchair so I had to carry him, and run. We thought it was better for us to die in the street than under the rubble of our house and ran at three in the morning and we didn’t know where to go. We were just running because we didn’t want to die under the rubble. I wasn’t thinking – I just wanted to protect my children.”
“In the morning we came back to our home but it was ruined…I cried and I shouted but there was nothing else I could do. There is no human being alive who wouldn’t be sad – we worked all our lives to build our home and suddenly we lose it all. “
“There is no place for us to go, no safe space to go to at all…Syria is our country and we want to go back there. I don’t know who is right and who is wrong, but I know we civilians are paying the price.”