LONDON: A Syrian boy left with horrific burns following an airstrike is now living a new life in Europe after a stranger in the UK helped the boy and his father escape the country’s civil war.
Yousef Rajab was just two years old when his home was destroyed after a missile fired by the Syrian regime or its foreign allies detonated a gas cylinder in his house in 2015. The ensuing blast killed his mother and brother and left Yousef seriously burned.
When the young boy’s story was shared on British television, Rohan Karat, from Hertfordshire, UK, was shocked by his plight, and immediately started raising money for him to receive treatment.
Karat told ITV News: “It was absolutely heartbreaking to see his situation. I don't know what took over me, but I just felt that something needed to be done.”
He eventually raised enough money to help Yousef and his father Muhammad flee Syria and start a new life abroad.
Muhammad Rajab has since started a new family, and said his son enjoys school, drawing and playing with his two younger siblings.
“We had nothing. With the money we received we could afford medical treatment for Yousef,” Muhammad told ITV News.
Karat continues to fund Yousef’s education and other parts of his life through monthly donations raised with the help of a community group.
“I want Yousef to learn English so he can someday talk to Rohan. He cared for Yousef like he was his own child,” said Muhammad, who added that he has not told his son how he received his scars, as he believes he is not yet ready for the truth.
Syria’s war is now in its tenth year, and while some parts of the country are currently relatively stable, others continue to see daily violence.
Support from Iran, Hezbollah and Russia through a combination of airstrikes, extensive support for militias, and the direct involvement of ground forces, has so far ensured the survival of President Bashar Assad’s regime.
