electronicIraq.net

Direct Aid Initiative
Samira and Amira

Staff, Direct Aid Initiative

Aug 27, 2007

The Direct Aid Initiative is a project of Electronic Iraq intended to support Iraqis displaced as the result of the ongoing Iraqi crises through providing funds for crucial medical expenses.


Samira and Amira, two teenage girls living in Amman, Jordan, come from the Sabean Mandean faith community (which venerates the teachings of the man known to Christians as John the Baptist), one of Iraq's oldest religious traditions. They suffer from diabetes, which is easily manageable with the necessary resources, but can be quickly lethal without resources to pay for ongoing medication and check-ups.

Because of the lack of consistent care, they are both beginning to lose their eyesight. Their mother has chronic kidney pain that had previously not been diagnosed because she cannot afford medication for her daughters, let alone for her ailments. Their younger brother suffers from severe depression ever since the departure of his father, who returned to Iraq following a mental breakdown due to the family's living conditions and the horrific killing of two close family members in Iraq.

The eldest son in the family, Ardwan, was kidnapped and tortured while they were still living in Iraq. Their mother's brother was taken and returned to them in a bag on their front porch, chopped up into little pieces. Their cousin was also killed by one of the armed groups now operating in Iraq's security vacuum.

As a result of these and other experiences, the whole family has suffered severe psychological trauma. Means of supporting them in healing from these experiences may need to be supported in the future.

For now, DAI is supporting monthly check-ups and facilitating necessary medication for Samira and Amira, as well as monthly medication to manage their conditions. DAI coordinators are also pursuing diagnosis and medical care for Umm Ardwan's kidney condition, as she struggles to support her children in untenable circumstances.

*Note: Names have been changed at the request of the family for their protection