Published : 29-07-2018
More than 2,300 Palestinian refugees with disabilities in Syria have had their lives marred by the unabated warfare and bloody strife rocking the Syrian territories.
The life of Shadi AlAssad, aged 31, has gone upside down as a result of the raging hostilities.
UNRWA said that two years ago Shadi’s life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with cerebral hydrocephalus. The condition impacts both his motor and speech skills and now he communicates with others through messages on his mobile phone.
A biology graduate with a passion for the English language, he used to be married, with a one-year-old son and good job with DHL.
UNRWA said the conversations he used to have with his family are no longer possible. Shadi struggles to formulate words. His Smartphone, hooked to his finger thanks to a phone case, has become his lifeline. This is the only way he can communicate with the outside world. It enables Shadi to interact with the people around him and gives him the freedom to go online.
Adjusting has been hard, admits his 57 years-old mother Dina Bushnaq. “Coping is an ongoing process. It is exhausting and stressful but life has to go on,” she says. With her two other sons overseas and her husband deceased, it is just her and Shadi now. Shadi’s wife filed for porce when he became disabled and left for Turkey with their son. “He is now three-years-old,” Shadi says, holding up three fingers, and then wiping away a tear.
The conflict in Syria, too, has impacted their lives. They live in Harasta, an area which has seen fighting. Although their house has not been damaged, ongoing military operations have limited their freedom of movement. Even going for a walk, pushing Shadi in his wheelchair, was dangerous, UNRWA added.
Dina is the family’s main breadwinner, working as a primary school teacher. Shadi receives a small pension, but his primary income is cash assistance provided by UNRWA. Their income is spent covering the basic costs of living, including electricity and water, in addition to Shadi’s numerous medicines.
Assistance to the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees, including persons with disabilities, is provided by donors like the European Union. The European Commission's civil protection and humanitarian aid department (ECHO) has funded assistance to those with disabilities, as well as female-headed households, like Dina’s.
UNRWA said it assists more than 2,300 Palestine refugees with disabilities in Syria and more than 13,143 Palestine refugees in total across all five fields of operation.
More than 2,300 Palestinian refugees with disabilities in Syria have had their lives marred by the unabated warfare and bloody strife rocking the Syrian territories.
The life of Shadi AlAssad, aged 31, has gone upside down as a result of the raging hostilities.
UNRWA said that two years ago Shadi’s life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with cerebral hydrocephalus. The condition impacts both his motor and speech skills and now he communicates with others through messages on his mobile phone.
A biology graduate with a passion for the English language, he used to be married, with a one-year-old son and good job with DHL.
UNRWA said the conversations he used to have with his family are no longer possible. Shadi struggles to formulate words. His Smartphone, hooked to his finger thanks to a phone case, has become his lifeline. This is the only way he can communicate with the outside world. It enables Shadi to interact with the people around him and gives him the freedom to go online.
Adjusting has been hard, admits his 57 years-old mother Dina Bushnaq. “Coping is an ongoing process. It is exhausting and stressful but life has to go on,” she says. With her two other sons overseas and her husband deceased, it is just her and Shadi now. Shadi’s wife filed for porce when he became disabled and left for Turkey with their son. “He is now three-years-old,” Shadi says, holding up three fingers, and then wiping away a tear.
The conflict in Syria, too, has impacted their lives. They live in Harasta, an area which has seen fighting. Although their house has not been damaged, ongoing military operations have limited their freedom of movement. Even going for a walk, pushing Shadi in his wheelchair, was dangerous, UNRWA added.
Dina is the family’s main breadwinner, working as a primary school teacher. Shadi receives a small pension, but his primary income is cash assistance provided by UNRWA. Their income is spent covering the basic costs of living, including electricity and water, in addition to Shadi’s numerous medicines.
Assistance to the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees, including persons with disabilities, is provided by donors like the European Union. The European Commission's civil protection and humanitarian aid department (ECHO) has funded assistance to those with disabilities, as well as female-headed households, like Dina’s.
UNRWA said it assists more than 2,300 Palestine refugees with disabilities in Syria and more than 13,143 Palestine refugees in total across all five fields of operation.
