“Because I have tumours in my joints, I feel pain there. I had a severe headache. Although some forms of chemotherapy are painful, I encourage children not to give up,” said Sheida Hassan, 14, who was diagnosed with bone cancer a year ago.
According to the Syrian Ministry of Health, more than 8,000 cancer cases have been confirmed in Syria so far in 2021. Thirty-three of them are in Hasaka province. In 2020 the Kurdish Red Crescent reported 268 cancer cases in northeast Rojava. In the first half of this year, they reported 552 cases.
“Environmental and genetic factors are generally considered to be the main causes of cancer. Rojava has seen an increase in cancer cases recently. There is a lot of environmental pollution because of oil refineries, generators, and car exhaust. The refineries are too close to residential areas,” said oncologist Danish Hajj Ibrahim.
Rojava depends on ramshackle oil refineries for fuel, but they are toxic, belching smoke into the air and leaking oil into the water ways.
There are no oncology wards in Rojava, so patients have to go to Damascus for treatment. A new organization, EMIN, founded last month, is helping families who have to make that journey.
“There are 50 children with cancer in Qamishli. EMIN association has specialized caregivers. We have contacts with doctors in Damascus so we can give the best care to the children. As part of our program, we provide airline tickets for the child and one of their parents to fly to Damascus,” said EMIN executive manager Helin Hassan.
Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
