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قارئ المقال
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This story was written with support from IJNet Arabic’s Mentoring Center for Media Startups
Written By: Ibrahim Al-Munifi
Translated By: Yasser Mohammed
This is the tragic story of one of the most gruesome crimes of this century. Mothers and fathers are still grieving while children are still shocked. On that day, humanity sustained a direct hit. Homes were brought down on the heads of its residents. The innocent victims of this conflict most notably the Persons with Special Needs (PWSNs) will raise their complaints to history. They will say their wounds are still bleeding and their complaints weren’t resolved. The warring parties are about to sign a peace agreement, a comprehensive one, however, while the PWSNs, who paid the heaviest toll, will be betrayed by all
The chapters of Noqum area’s tragedy are still taking their toll on the residents of that area and the neighboring areas. Children are still being born with disfigurements and disabilities. And those who were impacted by the war, were later ignored by it after becoming PWSNs.
””This story happened in the Al-Sad neighborhood of Noqum area in Yemen’s capital city Sana’a. This is the story of Abdulrahman Al-Dhale’i, who hails from Al-Dhale’ governorate south of Yemen
On the afternoon of May 11, 2015, on a gloomy Monday, warplanes were heavily bombarding the weapons depots located around the residential buildings with thermobaric weapons causing munitions to explode and fly around in all directions. During that attack, citizens reported seeing a mushroom cloud made from flames
Civilians were frantically trying to escape the attacks, women in plain clothes screaming and carrying their children and holding to dear life
The sky was raining missiles and bombs, the earth was shaking due the continuous explosions, it was a biblical scene
During that havoc, a few brave men defied death, embodied altruism and started to execute rescue missions
Abdulrahman Al-Dhale’i, was one of the rescuers on that fateful day, he was 21 years old back then
“After the first airstrike, before the massive explosion, some windows and indeed some homes, were crumbling down, people started to escape their homes without realizing it,” said Abdulrahman
Adding “things became much worse, after the massive explosion, words cannot describe the calamity of the situation, the explosion’s shockwave knocked people off their feet and they would get and keep running
Abdulrahman explained how he and a few other brave volunteers were rescuing women, children and elderly citizens with cars whose owners also volunteered to help with the rescue efforts
Originally, Abdulrahman headed to the area to save his family members, however, he couldn’t see the women and children crying for help without offering any help. Thus, at that fateful movement, he considered all the panicking women and children as his own family and he had to help them all
Abdulrahman was especially moved when he noticed that some women refused to leave the area of danger until they found their children and took them to safety. “The gravity of the situation made us help them find their children too,” said Abdulrahman
The Hero has Fallen
After cheating death several times, saving many families, securing homes after their owners escaped, it was finally the turn of Abdulrahman’s family to be rescued by him
While Abdulrahman was waiting to secure the escape of the last member of his family via a volunteer’s car used to transport the civilians out of harm’s way, an object fell in front of him, which exploded and sent him flying several meters away, women and children screamed at the top of their lungs, while watching himThis was not the first time Abdulrahman had fallen on that day, so naturally, he was trying to get up. But he kept falling again saying: “Don’t worry, I’ll get it now, it looks like I’m just a little tired
Oh my God Abdulrahman, your leg is gone!”, his sister screamed“
“At the time, I looked down and noticed that my leg was completely severed, and realized that I will become a person with disability,” explained Abdulrahman
The Hero was Betrayed
Abdulrahman’s heroism and altruism did not afford him any special or even basic treatment in the hospital
For a few hours in the hospital no doctor had approached him to even stop the bleeding, forcing Abdulrahman to use his own torn clothes to tie around his leg to slow the bleeding. Later that day, Abdulrahman’s family took him out of the public hospital he was in
With a broken spirit and a sad tone, Abdulrahman told the Media Center for persons with Disability (MCPD) how he was forced to drop out of school after the ninth grade due to being psychologically unready, due to the unpreparedness of the schools to accommodate his condition, bullying, and the look of pity he got from the people around him wherever he went
He expressed how he never received any assistance from humanitarian organizations or from PWDs organizations due not knowing how to ask for help from them
“During the past eight years I was visited by many organizations and bodies, the only thing that came out of them was a heavy, low quality poorly fitting prosthetic leg that tore off my clothes,” said Abdulrahman
Abdulrahman added that there is a different prosthetic that is lighter and fits him, but it is expensive and average citizens cannot purchase it for themselves
“Organizations only give them [high quality prosthetics] to those who have connections,” explained Abdulrahman
Abdulrahman conducted many interviews in the hopes that his condition would be known and subsequently get more help, but his plan failed
“When I got sick, and needed a surgery, no one helped me, even my PWSNs card which I always carry, I did not make any use of it, I did not know how,” lamented Abdulrahman
Everyone Must do their Part
It is difficult to argue that Abdulrahman still has his strong will. Unfortunately, he spoke like a person who lost all hope and dreams
How would I study or train while I am disabled? inquired Abdulrahman“
”?Adding “even if managed that, who would hire and keep a person with a disability
Finally, there are two points that must be made here, since PWSNs and their issues are not interesting to most members of the community
First: Abdulrahman realized that he was part of the community, he did his part in that community, and he suffered for it. The community, if it wants to do its part, must take an interest in the issues of PWSNs, care for them and advocate on their behalf for them because PWDs are part of the community
Second: humanitarian organizations and organizations dedicated to PWSNs must pay attention to the new PWSNs including those who are victims of the current conflict with psychosocial support, vocational and professional training as well as provision of health services and other essential aspects of a healthy life
After all, these new PWSNs are unfamiliar with the institutional and legal frameworks pertaining to their situation or how to interact with them
The PWSNs paid the heaviest price in this conflict. Thus, they must be the first to gain the fruits of peace, if justice is to be achieved