SIHÊR EL-ÎDLIBÎ

Idlib- More people have suffered from chronic diseases due to poor nutrition and living conditions. Diabetes is one of these diseases. According to the World Health Organization, one out of every 10 Syrians has diabetes.

28-year-old Rehef El-Ehmed is one of the people with diabetes in Idlib. She was arrested by Syrian regime forces when she was going to the University of Aleppo in 2015. She became sick in prison. “I was arrested because my surname is the same as the surname of a man convicted by the regime. I will never forget the torture I faced in the prison.”

Rehef El-Ehmed was released from prison after being held in prison for five months. She was diagnosed with diabetes after being released. She has difficulty in seeing and needs to be treated in her eyes.

She has difficulties in finding medicines

Lemis El-Şex Ehmed was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 33 after the death of her husband. She sometimes goes to hospitals providing medical care free of charge to patients in Idlib for her treatment. Lemis El-Shex Ehmed, who lives in one of the refugee camps in one of the towns of Idlib, can easily access hospitals but has difficulties in finding medicines. “Sometimes I have to buy medicines at a very higher price,” she told us.

Diabetes affects eyes

44-year-old ophthalmologist Ibtisam El-Helleq emphasized that diabetes has increased in recent years, particularly among women. Diabetes affects the eyes, she said, “Diabetes sometimes causes vision loss and blindness in people.”