Family struggles as children killed or permanently disabled in war

A Yemen family who lost three children in one day and had one other boy disabled are struggling with life as the civil war persists.

Seven-year-old boy Hamed Al-Athouri has been living in a community in central Yemen's Taiz where crossfires frequently breakout, killing and injuring countless civilians. On Oct 30, 2021, he narrowly escaped a deadly bombing that killed three of his siblings and left the young boy with an impaired leg.

"We were walking out of a store when a rocket fell on us. Then my siblings were killed," said Hamed.

"The disaster killed three of our children. Thank god, Hamed survived, but he was injured and has to live with an impaired leg for the rest of his life, which will always cause pain. We were heartbroken when we got the bad news and we couldn't figure out why such an unexpected disaster would happen to us. We suffered great pains and felt hopeless," said Mustafa Al-Athouri, Hamed's father.

Hamed was only three when he lost one of his lower leg. Four year has passed, he is still struggling with the inconvenience of using a prosthetic leg, which he received from a charity organization.

"I wear the prosthetic leg frequently. Sometimes I take it off and sometimes I put it on. I can walk with it, but it hurts a lot. I don't wear it during night," said Hamed.

Buying a suitable prosthetic leg to ease Hamed's pain is a costly burden for his family, but his parents are doing as much as they can to help their son. They often carry him on their back around the city.

"His mother carries him to school on her back and then carries him back home after class. Watching other children run freely while knowing my son has to live with an impaired leg forever breaks my heart. I call on all the political forces to stop the war as soon as possible and stop inflicting the pain of living with disabilities to people or the pain of losing family members," said Mustafa Al-Athouri.

Family struggles as children killed or permanently disabled in war

Family struggles as children killed or permanently disabled in war

Family struggles as children killed or permanently disabled in war

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.

At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.

Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.

The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.

Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.

Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.

Iran swears to counterattack if attacked