A few doors down from the hospital, sitting on a low chair on a broken sidewalk, a Syrian mother is lost in confusion, feeling the dangers of this war without understanding why they have torn apart her life.
Umm Mohamed鈥檚 distress reaches through the black chador that covers her completely. Her left hand clutches a fistful of bread; her curly-haired 3-year-old daughter 鈥� one of seven children 鈥� sucks her thumb and stays close, her evident curiosity at the street scene in sharp contrast to her mother鈥檚 fear.
The family lived in Salaheddin, a rebel enclave in southwest Aleppo pummeled since government forces launched an assault there in late July.
鈥淭he regime sent papers saying, 鈥楪et out, we will attack, run for your lives,鈥� so we got out,鈥� recalls Umm Mohamed.
As she speaks, the wounded 10-year-old boy, his leg now bandaged, is wheeled out of the hospital to a safer, underground operating theater 鈥� this stark reminder of the daily danger barely eliciting a glance from those on the street. A medical orderly runs after them, carrying two units of blood.
The woman鈥檚 family, fleeing explosions and gunfire, and escaping unharmed from two close blasts, now lives in a basement in a 鈥渟afer鈥� district: 鈥淚f my girl comes and says 鈥業 am hungry,鈥� it breaks my heart. We survive by the force of God.鈥�
And also by the benevolence of the Free Syrian Army, says this mother. The rebels have provided money, food, and milk since Umm Mohamed鈥檚 husband disappeared two months ago. He was a taxi driver, arrested for taking wounded anti-regime protesters to the hospital.
鈥淲hy is the world keeping Assad at the head of his people? He is killing his people!鈥� says Umm Mohamed. 鈥淚n our hand there is nothing we can do. Maybe we will die.鈥�
The daughter pulls her thumb from her mouth and waves when she spots a friend. The other little girl races over and they embrace. Yet Umm Mohamed鈥檚 mind focuses not on their playfulness, but on the number of snipers in their neighborhood.
鈥淵es, it鈥檚 full of snipers. When the dark is coming, we can鈥檛 go outside because they shoot immediately,鈥� says the mother. 鈥淚 am so afraid.鈥�
