KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Alifa no longer sends her children to the center of the special needs for the last 15 days, the date that marks the beginning of Turkish air and artillery campaign against northern Syria in which vital facilities and infrastructure were targeted on a large scale. Kobani, north Syria, had its share of the Turkish air raids.
Alifa Abdullah, 35, says her daughter – a special need – is horrified by the loud sounds of bombardment and explosions. The center she used to go lies close to the Turkish-Syrian border which could make it an easy target for Turkish attacks.
Fearing to be displaced at any moment, the mother wants to always be by her daughter’s side.
Abdullah, mother of six children, said Fatima longs for the center where she used to meet her friends and teacher. Fatima feels comfort when she attends the center, psychologically speaking.
However, the recent situation precludes Abdullah to send Fatima to the center. She is all hope that in near future she could send her beloved one to the center. This depends on the situation on the ground however.
Last week, a child while playing with her friends in front of her house was hit through the pelvis by a Turkish bullet upon which she was taken to a hospital in the city.
According to Najah Meshi, manager of Hivi for Special Needs in Kobani, prior to the recent Turkish escalation, 45 children representing both genders were enrolled in the center. However, right now, only 10 children attend, as parents fear potential escalation.
Hivi Center is specialized in providing educational and psychosocial support, in addition to physical therapy and entertainment classes. There is another center in Kobani specialized in providing support for blind children. Both are run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
November 20 marks Children’s Day. This is the exact same day in which Turkey started its ground and air bombardment campaign against northern Syria. December 3 marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Meshi says they were planning to hold a celebration and plays on the two occasions. However, Turkish threats made them cancel the idea.
Meshi calls on the international community and the active powers in Syria “to put an end to these acts so children could lead a safer life as in other countries.”
Last week, the AANES’ Education Board said in a statement that 22.000 students are deprived of education owing to the Turkish shelling against the region.
In the same relation, the family of Aqil Abbas refrains from sending their children to the center.
Omar Abbas, 25, Aqil’s brother, says they have not sent Aqil to the center for the last 10 days voicing fears that Turkish shelling could resume at any time. They express hope that calm and security return to the area.
Abbas says though his brother longs for the center to meet his friends and teachers, they refrain from making his wish a reality for the abovementioned reason.
In turn, Amira Ali, in charge of activities and centers relevant to special needs in the AANES’ Social Affairs and Labor Board in Kobani, says most activities and services have been held up owing to the Turkish escalation and shelling.
Ali adds an activity that was focusing on the blind has been stopped owing to non-attendance by children amid such a reality on the ground.
For the same reason, a section that used to instruct handicapped women sewing skills has met the same end.