Hasakah, Syria: Encouraging Families Made Homeless Twice by War
Hasakah, Syria
22 Feb 2025
From January 20 to February 13, our team has had the privilege of delivering medical care to 906 patients across 21 different Internally Displaced People camps (IDP camps) in Syria. These camps are home to families who have fled violence two times. In 2018, they fled from Afrin when the Turkish military attacked. In December 2024, they were forced to flee again, this time from Shahba’a and surrounding regions due to operations by the Free Syria Army (FSA), a proxy force of the Turkish military. Many of these families arrived with just the clothes on their backs, having endured multiple traumatic journeys of displacement. Alongside basic medical care, our teams also conducted Good Life Club (GLC) programs to offer emotional and spiritual support to these families.
The range of diagnoses among our patients was broad, ranging from chronic diseases to acute infections, and including such ailments as gastroesophageal reflux, lumbar disc hernias, stunting, anemia, scabies, cutaneous leishmaniasis, epilepsy, and even undiagnosed tumors and congenital heart diseases. We performed various procedures, such as fracture splinting and wound cleaning for diabetic foot infections. For patients needing specialty care—such as those with congenital heart diseases or cancers—we referred them to more advanced facilities for further treatment.
The lack of hygiene facilities in many camps, combined with insufficient knowledge of proper hygiene practices, has led to higher rates of diarrhea, intestinal parasites, and skin diseases amongst the camp residents. In addition to treating these conditions, we focused on patient education and advocated for improved hygiene facilities with camp authorities. We also distributed over 1,000 ready-to-use nutritional supplements and more than 700 one-month vitamin boxes to address malnutrition, which can cause stunting in children.
Many of our patients had been displaced as recently as the previous two months, missing out on essential prenatal care and chronic disease management. We provided prenatal care to 12 pregnant women and treated over 100 chronic disease patients. Among them, six were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and two with high blood pressure. We also followed up with 15 young patients suffering from congenital heart diseases, although some families are struggling to access or afford the complex surgeries their children need.
One of the most devastated families we encountered consisted of four members who were sick, three of whom face serious, life-threatening conditions. The youngest, a little girl, has a rare congenital heart defect called Pentalogy of Fallot. She has undergone several medical studies but has not been able to receive surgery due to the high cost. She has been referred to a specialty hospital for treatment. The son, now 30, has a permanent developmental disability and recently lost vision in his right eye. Doctors discovered a tumor inside the eye, which requires immediate specialized treatment to rule out malignancy. Partial vision recovery seems unlikely, and he has been referred for ophthalmological care. The mother suffers from severe alopecia areata, causing her to lose most of her hair. In Middle Eastern culture, it is shameful for a woman to lose her hair, but thankfully she is receiving treatment to prevent further damage. The father has type 2 diabetes and lung cancer and was undergoing a chemotherapy regimen in Damascus. Since being displaced two months ago, he has been unable to travel for treatment. We provided his medications for three months and some financial support for his next chemotherapy session. Despite the family’s hardships, he remains strong in his faith, trusting that God will provide for their needs. Our team continues to follow up with this family. The girl with the heart condition and the young man with the tumor in his eye were scheduled for tests and consultations at the local hospital the next day.
Another family we met included an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare heart condition that causes oxygen-poor blood to circulate, turning his lips and skin a bluish color. When we first saw him, his lips were severely blue, and we were deeply concerned. His mother shared that she had sought multiple evaluations over the years, but doctors advised waiting until he was older. Eventually, she was told that surgery was risky. As a result, she chose not to seek the surgery for her son, with the most recent evaluation taking place in 2021. Two months ago, the mother fled with her three children, but tragically, her 4-month-old child died during the journey due to the cold; she is terrified of losing another child. Without treatment, Tetralogy of Fallot is life-threatening, and though surgery is risky, it is also the standard treatment. The longer they delay, the riskier the surgery will be. We encouraged her to consider surgery for her boy and referred the family to a specialty hospital for further evaluation and possible surgery.
In addition to providing physical care, we also offered emotional and spiritual support. We created a safe space for individuals and families to share their stories, offering a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and prayer for those who welcomed it. We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to share God’s love through our care.
The following are just a few stories shared with our team. Names and identifying details have been removed to protect the families’ privacy and prevent retaliation for sharing their experiences. While some families were more reluctant to speak than others, all of them expressed a common request: to share their stories with the world, particularly with the West, so that people would not forget them and would understand the reality of what is happening to them.
One mother in her forties, traveling with her son, walked 90 kilometers over three days, fleeing Shahba’a to Tabqah, and eventually reaching Hasakah with no food or water. During their escape, they witnessed the brutality of the FSA, who killed civilians and looted their belongings. Similarly, a young woman originally from Afrin fled when Turkey attacked in 2018, first seeking refuge in Shahba’a, then fleeing again to Hasakah in December 2024 after the FSA attacked. She endured verbal abuse from the FSA, but remained silent, fearing further provocation.
A young man in his early twenties shared how his family fled Shahba’a, was processed in Tabqah, and then directed to Hasakah. He expressed a deep longing to return to Afrin, where he had lost his uncle in the 2018 fighting. As they fled from Shahba’a, he witnessed the FSA robbing people. He even saw the FSA kill a Kurdish man for his motorcycle. They stopped the man, initially allowed him to ride on, and then shot him as he rode away. Another man in his forties described how fleeing Shahba’a was even worse than their previous escape from Afrin. He recounted seeing the bodies of regime soldiers and children, as well as the violence committed by Turkish-backed forces. Other families shared similar traumatic experiences, including witnessing murder, mutilation, and destruction.
Throughout these stories, the common thread is the families’ longing to return to their homes in Afrin. Despite the trauma, loss, and daily struggles in the camps, they hold on to hope for a better future and the possibility of rebuilding their lives.
Our team also conducted Good Life Club programs for children, where we sang songs in English, Kurdish, and Norwegian, played games, shared Bible stories using colorful bracelets, and distributed Lion and Lamb stuffed animals that play music and Bible stories in Kurdish. The children were overjoyed by the attention and joy brought into their lives, even if only for a brief time. One child said, “We were sad before you came, but now that you are here, we are so happy!” The need for continued humanitarian aid is still critical, not only for survival but also for the future of these families.
We ask that you continue to pray for the health and well-being of those we have treated, for God’s provision for those with complex medical needs, and for peace and comfort for all affected by this crisis. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
Thank you and God bless you,
The Free Burma Rangers
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