War is such a terrible thing. It destroys lives, ruins families, and causes immeasurable destruction.
Mistaken for a toy
A 4-year-old girl named Iman was brought to a hospital in Syria for treatment. Iman was severely injured when she mistook an unexploded bomb for a ball. Iman picked it up and it exploded, injuring her as well as 2 of her sisters who were playing with her.
Baraa Omar, a nurse in the hospital where Iman was brought to said: “When I first saw her, she was bleeding heavily and had many wounds. She had been transferred from another hospital that doesn’t have a paediatric care unit,” she adds, "I noticed that her bandages needed changing because they were wet with blood. We changed the bandages and treated her. She was stable and remained stable.”
"It was a very difficult day"
Sadly, Iman had died from her injuries the day after she was stabilised. According to Omar, “When I arrived and heard that she had died I felt very, very sad because I had treated her the day before and she was stable when I left. I thought that she was going to live. I was very shocked. I didn’t know what to do. It was a very difficult day.”
According to her, Iman's family had moved to Aleppo’s al-Zebdieh district after their former home was destroyed by bombs. She adds, “And now, this happened to them. They are in very bad condition. She was the youngest in the family. The mother cries constantly and the brother cries too. It’s very difficult for them.”
The number of wounded in Syria is steadily increasing, and hospitals are all struggling to handle all the casualties. And according to the U.N., only five hospitals are in service, with only 29 doctors left in east Aleppo.
The impact of the civil war in Syria
Currently, the war in Syria is still going on. Everyday, the number of casualties are rising, families are being torn apart, and children are dying.
According to the Syrian Center For Policy Research (SCPR), up to 1.9 million Syrians have been injured, which translates into about a tenth of the population being killed or injured. The UN estimate for deaths during the civil war are 250, 000. However, the SCPR estimates that the actual number is closer to 470,000 which is almost twice the UN estimate.
In addition, life expectancy in Syria has dropped by 15 years from 70 years in 2010, down to 55 years in 2015.
What can you do to help?
This is why now, more than ever, Syria needs our help. Over 7.5 million children have been affected by the civil war, and it's getting more and more difficult for rescue and relief workers in Syria to help out.
If you wish to help out, you can donate through organisations such as SaveTheChildren.org which aims to help all of the displaced children and the victims of the Syrian civil war.
Additionally, it's extremely important for us to teach our kids about the horrors of war. We need to let them understand the impact that wars can have, not only for the people directly involved, but how it affects other countries as well. We also need to teach them how important it is to value the peace that they're experiencing right now.
Source: kticradio.com, ABCnews.go.com, Independent, Telegraph
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