Idlib – Huda Al Clive
Women with disabilities have faced difficult situations in recent years caused by airstrikes and military operations by the Syrian regime, increasing the potential for neglect and lack of care.
Economic and living conditions and low levels of medical care in the concentration camps of northwestern Syria also played a role in exacerbating the suffering of women with disabilities, whether before or during the revolution.
Based in a border IDP camp in Qah, 36-year-old Juhayna al-Balani has struggled to care for her personal needs since her right leg was amputated as a result of regime forces’ bombing of her town. increase. Late 2017.
Al Barani, originally the town of Marat al Numan, Enab Baladi When she is in the camp, she is forced to walk several meters on crutches when she needs to enter the toilet, making it more difficult for her to perform her activities because the design and construction of the toilet do not consider the problem. of disability.
financial burden
Al-Balani may need to replace the prosthesis every one or two years, which costs around US$1000 ($1 = 18.64 Turkish lira).
Facing financial and life difficulties, Albarani longs for a job opportunity that will allow her to resume her normal routine and support her family of four children and an unemployed husband.
Twenty-two-year-old Maha Al Husseini was injured in a 2015 regime airstrike on his hometown of Kaflamber, amputating one hand and one leg.
In addition to another fracture, she has suffered the consequences and has occasional surgeries to straighten her shattered spine.
Al-Husseini said in a wheelchair in front of the tent door at the IDP Barisha camp north of Idlib. Enab Baladi Her life has been turned upside down since she became disabled seven years ago.
She turned her attention to more than the physical impact, distanced herself from her academic aspirations and dreams, and needed financial and moral support that was unavailable due to her family’s difficult financial situation.
Psychosocial counselor Lamia Al Jarrah says that women’s disability is a gateway to psychological symptoms and disorders such as depression and anxiety due to feelings of loss and inability to care for oneself. increase. family.
Al Jarrah added Enab Baladi Among the psychological problems that most affect women with disabilities, dominance of disability, feelings of inferiority as a result of inferiority and introversion, inner tension, emotional imbalance, inability to be independent, and a weak sense of belonging .
Psychological counselors also noted the impact of these issues on patients’ adjustment and compatibility with their environment and their difficulty in establishing relationships with others.
Problems piling up
At the same time, the feeling that she is a daily burden to others is reinforced by persons with disabilities and the presence of other problems in the lives of women with disabilities, including family, financial, health, and educational difficulties. strengthened by doing From movements within the home to the environment surrounding the community, Al Jarrah said.
It is important that psychological counselors activate society’s role for women with disabilities, focus on all age groups without exception, provide a disability-appropriate environment, promote treatment programs, community awareness, and It is important to secure employment opportunities.
There is no exact official number of women with disabilities in Idlib, but bombing of populated areas causing injuries and deaths inevitably contributes to the rising number of casualties.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on September 8 that 28 percent of Syrians have a disability, about twice the global average, based on United Nations figures.
Reasons range from war injuries to lack of access to care and services, according to the HRW report. Disabled people in Syria often struggle to escape attacks, especially due to a lack of supportive equipment and effective and comprehensive advance warning.
