Faris, amputated 5-year- boy, suffered detention, no support with devastating living conditions: Eastern Ghouta

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Faris, a-5-year-old boy from the countryside of Damascus, had his leg amputated by a missile hit his house in Harasta. 

He used to live in al-Etiba in the countryside of Damascus with his family, but they were forced to leave to the village of al-Qantara in Harasta town due to heavy shelling on the village, however, as soon as they settled in, a missile directed from regime warplane hit their house, amputated Faris’s right leg and injured the father.

 

Razan Khobiyah, director of the Humanitarian al-Amal Team told Zaman al-Wasl the story of Faris and his mother who tried to treat her son, but she had no money. 

One of the volunteers asked her to go to Damascus to have a prosthesis fixed to Faris. 

However, days after staying in hospital, the mother and Faris were arrested under accusation of cooperation with terrorists, and taken to Kafr Soosah intelligence branch where they stayed for 37 days. Faris was released and sent to one of his relatives. 

After freeing the mother on bail, she was devastated from the physical and psychological torture she suffer inside detention centre. She looked for her son and found him at one of her relatives. 

Faris’s parents suffer of poverty and lack of income as the father cannot work due to his injury, beside leaving their home and being let down by most of the relatives especially after arresting the mother which stigmatised her, all that affected them emotionally and deepened their suffering. 

“the father left the area where he used to live because of people’s talks about his wife, which was very painful”, the director said. 

The devastated family live now a shelter for displaced people, lacks minimum living conditions requirements like electricity and drinking water. The team visited the family and tried to help them with some money, but they refused. 

Faris receives some recreational activities by al-Amal team to bring some happiness to him. 

Khobiyah confirmed that Faris needs a prosthesis for his amputated right leg with a cost of $1350 to enable him to move relatively well, that might bring some happiness to his soul.