Critically injured 2-year-old Syrian awaits treatment

By Adham Kako

EAST GHOUTA, Syria (AA) - Two-year-old Qasim in Syria was left orphan after his mother died in an airstrike conducted by Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Hammuriyah district of besieged Eastern Ghouta.

Qasim was critically injured in the strike. He received injuries to his nose and mouth, losing all tissues of his upper jaw, nasal cavity, lips and cheek.

The unconscious baby was put on a life support machine in an intensive care unit for two days.

Qasim’s father Mohammad Qahwaji, who is now taking care of him, says he feeds his child with difficulty since he cannot chew.

“There are critical injuries to his face. Some surgeries are urgently needed. He needs immediate treatment... My son’s face needs a tissue transplant and cosmetic surgery,” Qahwaji told Anadolu Agency.

“We hope Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will continue to stand with the children of East Ghouta,” he said.

He said the injured children need to be released from the besieged region for medical treatment.

Qasim’s doctor Abu Osman said that the child also had shrapnel stuck in his skull and without treatment he will have to live with this deformed face.

“We do not have the equipment for the treatment,” he added.

Similar to Qasim’s story, two-month-old Karim Abdallah, who lost his mother and his left eye in an airstrike last month in Eastern Ghouta may lose his second eye due to a lack of medical treatment.

Since Anadolu Agency first reported Baby Karim’s story, thousands of people have expressed their support for the child via online social-media campaigns.