At least 13.4 million people are in need of humanitarian and protection assistance in Syria and 6.7 million are internally displaced.
“A tent, all I want is a tent!”
That was the humbling New Year’s wish made by Shahd, a young Syrian child, who’s spent much of her life homeless and scared due to the war that has ripped apart her country.
Shahd shared her wish when a journalist from Al Jazeera asked her what she would like for 2022, the video clip then went viral and succeeded in reminding the world of the ongoing plight of Syria’s refugees, who lost their towns and cities at the hands of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and its Russian and Iranian allies.
Within days of Shahd’s video circulating online, a Kuwaiti charity said it had received money from a Qatari donor who had tasked it with fulfilling the young girls wish.
Shahd’s father told Al Jazeera, that a Qatari donor had purchased a plot of land in Idlib for the Syrian girl and her family and that work had begun on building a house for them.
Aside from the Qatari donor, many people expressed their willingness via social media to assist the young girl and her family. According to the Qatar-based broadcaster’s reporter in Syria, the family also received, electric supplies and furniture to help them cope with the harsh winter season.
The little girl’s wish came after heavy rainfall destroyed the wall of her shelter, which drove her and her family to move to her grandfather’s tent instead.
When the Al Jazeera reporter asked the Shahd about her next wish, the little girl said said,”I hope that the dreams of all Syrian children come true, like mine.”
Commenting on the video, Shahd’s father expressed the sadness he felt over the heavy burdens his young girl has been forced to carry as a consequence of the war. His hope for 2022 is for him and his family to be able to return to their home.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 5.6 million Syrian refugees have been registered by the agency. The war in Syria has raged for a decade and the Al-Assad regime’s war crimes continue, worsening the humanitarian situation in the country, with more and more people being displaced over the years.
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