IS mines leave 1000+ civilians with permanent disabilities

KHALED JUMMA / AL-RAQQA

IS left behind thousands of mines in the city of al-Raqqa, killing hundreds and injuring thousands with permanent disabilities such as amputations and physical malformations.

According to the Office of Special Needs in al-Raqqa's Civil Council, the number of disability cards granted by the office was 4200 cards with more than 1000 cards for men, women and children who lost their limbs due to the mines left behind IS after their defeat by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

70% of the disabilities are amputation of the lower limbs and 35% children, the percentage of upper limb amputation is 45%, according to the Office of Special Needs.

Although demining organizations in the city of al-Raqqa and its countryside have cleared the mines left behind ISIS, the large amount of mercenaries left was too damaging to the people.

Head of the Office of People with Special Needs Amira al-Hasan said in statements to ANHA agency: "All we presented to people with special needs is negligible and the numbers we mentioned are not all disabilities in the city of al-Raqqa and its countryside, but we documented the disabilities we received in al-Raqqa's Civil Council."

Amira appealed to the humanitarian organizations of what she called "good people" to provide support to people with special needs in al-Raqqa.

Our agency met one of the children who had been wounded and disabled by the war in his head and the right side of his abdomen, where he will be transferred to a hospital in Damascus after the Office of Special Needs has presented part of the costs of the surgery, according to Amira Hasan.

The surgery of the child Khalil will be done during the month, and a number of al-Raqqa residents will pay the remaining wages of the surgery after they have donated enough money.

Khalil has a single wish that he can recover from disability and return to school to study and play with his friends.

H/S

ANHA