Livingston Schoolboy on hunger strike for Syrian refugees
18 January 2014 - SACC
Hussein Almasharqah is 14 years old in S3 at Linlithgow Academy lives In Livingston.
He decided to go on hunger strike in solidarity with Syrian refugees so that he might help raise awareness of their plight. He says "when I saw the shocking pictures of children dead for starvation I couldn't take it...I am asking from everyone in control to realise what’s happening and start doing something."
His mother, Tahrir, says of her sons determined decision:
"It was his own idea to start this , I thought he was joking but he surprised me . Me and his father tried our best to convince him to stop with no response ,he strongly insisted to achieve his goal." Hussein wants recognition of his hunger strike by MPs and MSPs and help for the Syria people.
Tahrir assures us that "he is under a medical supervision and alhamdolilah he accepted to have drinks and all kinds of fluids."
Update: Hussein ended his hunger strike on Friday.
Below is his statement.
"My name is Hussein Almasharqah. I am 14 years old , I live in Livingston, Scotland.
After what I have seen on television and the internet in the last few weeks about what’s happening in AL-Yarmouk camp in Syria, children dying from starvation in the camp which is very shocking in our time, they are trapped.
No food or medicine is allowed to be taken in to the camp. Unwra and other organisations tried to help the camp by sending in food and medicine but the government didn't allow them.And when I saw the shocking pictures of children dead for starvation I couldn't take it,and no one’s helping them.
So I tried to think of a way to help these people, there are already people donating and protesting but no one is responding seriously. Then I decided to go on a hunger strike starting from Friday night 10/1/2014 Solidarity with the children and the people dying in that camp so at least I can feel for them and share their hunger.
And I am asking from everyone in control to realise what’s happening and start doing something about it because if no one does any thing a lot of people are going to die, at least 50 people already died from starvation, and I really hope that the British government does something about it and help them before it’s too late."
More Information
- Lothians boy on hunger strike over Syria (article in the Evening News)
- Stories from Syrian refugees from UNHCR
- Yarmouk refugee camp receives food aid - first time for months (The Guardian, 18 January 2014)
- Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
- Violations Documentation Center in Syria
- Karam Foundation - projects to help people in Syria . Donations welcome
