In 2015, Abdulbari was 12 years old. The war in Syria has lasted for four years. That year,
his life changed when a missile hit the disused hospital where he was sheltering with his family, in the western countryside of Idlib. Abdulbari's story is the same as many Syrian children victims of war. Today, he’s 20 and he is one of the oldest patients in MSF’s Atmeh hospital, the only facility serving burn victims within northwest Syria, catering to a population of over 4.5 million people.

Script
Abdul
The doctors worked hard to help me. I thank God, the doctors and my family.
I left my village northwest of Idlib to go for a consultation in Atmeh, where the MSF hospital
is located, so the doctors can run some tests and check on me.
In 2015, Abdulbari was 12 years old. The war in Syria has lasted for four years. That year,
his life changed when a missile hit the disused hospital where he was sheltering with his
family, in the western countryside of Idlib.
Abdulbari's story is the same as many Syrian children victims of war. Today, he’s 20 and he
is one of the oldest patients in MSF’s Atmeh hospital, the only facility serving burn victims
within northwest Syria, catering to a population of over 4.5 million people.
Abdulbari, an adolescence spent in a hospital
Abdulbari, MSF patient
Before my injury, I had bought a popular game called Siyahi.
I was playing and feeling happy when everything went black. I had lost consciousness.
Later I realized that I was burned.
I had burns almost all over my body.
Abdulbari suffered from third-degree burns over much of his body. Due to his limited
mobility, as well as the shelling and the fighting in the Idlib region, it took him almost 3
weeks to be able to reach a functional health facility.
Many of the health facilities in the area had been bombed and were not functional. In 2015,
63 of the facilities supported by MSF were hit by airstrikes or rockets. Currently, nearly a
third of 601 health facilities in the area are reportedly non-functional, 67 of which were
damaged by the 2023 earthquakes to varying degrees.
Abdulbari’s Mother
When he was injured, we were trapped inside that disused hospital. The situation was dire.
All I could do was to try to help him by myself while he suffered.
Abdulbari's situation looked hopeless, we couldn’t believe he survived. People used to ask me
why I was torturing myself by trying to save him.
At last we got him out of the disused hospital, out of the siege, and took him to Atmeh.
MSF opened a project in Atmeh in 2012, soon after the fighting escalated in Syria. The
organization first developed an emergency surgical center for the war-wounded and then
moved towards caring for burned people, as this service is extremely rare in this landlocked
area of Syria.
Abdul
At this point, my medical ordeal started. At first the doctors had little hope for me.
I was in an indescribable situation, in a lot of pain.
I spent a long time at the hospital.
I spent so much time there, at some point I felt like I was a resident in the hospital.
Abdulmalik Arour, Nursing activities Supervisor
Though his case looked hopeless, we admitted him and treated him for almost two years.
We operated Abdulbari more than 10 or 15 times, doing skin grafts for a start. We gave him
psychological support and clinical care for two years.
Abdulbari’s Mother
No one visited us at the hospital for a whole year. No one. It was Abdulbari and me. The
hospital staff became our family.
We spent a whole year there, during which he went through very critical times.
Abdul
It was very bad,
I can’t describe my pain. I had many surgical operations.
Since October 2022, MSF teams in Atmeh resumed reconstructive surgery for burn patients,
a vital treatment that helps patients regain their mobility and functionality despite their
injuries. But due to a shortage of surgeons and specialized health care in the area, and the
impact of 2023’s earthquake on the MSF activities, this type of care is extremely rare,
leading to an extended waiting times for patients.
Due to the intense fighting and repeated offensives, Abdul and his family have been
displaced 9 times since the beginning of the war. The insecurity, the handicaps caused by
his injuries and the difficulties linked to the dozens of operations he has undergone, have
deeply affected him.
Abdulbari’s Uncle
Abdulbari was psychologically broken after his injury. He was no longer a normal person.
He started visiting me and we became friends.
Abdul
I visit my uncle at his shop, where he sells coffee, tea, biscuits and so on.
I come here to talk and to go with him if he has to go somewhere.
I’ve been out of school for a while but he encourages me to return to rebuild my future and
make a living so I can have a family. He wants me to be well.
Uncle
His problem is that he's still shy of facing people because of the visible burns on his face.
I hope that he continues to pursue his education.
I hope he goes on with his life, gets married and has his own business and family.
Abdulmalik
After more than 70 surgeries, Abdulbari has hit a treatment limit because of the lack of care
in northwest Syria.
The MSF teams of the Atmeh hospital mobilized and adapted their activities following the
earthquake earlier in 2023, and continue to provide treatment for victims of burns, most of
whom are children.
Abdul
Today I miss the medical staff with whom I spent such a long time. I think of them as family.
Abdul’s Mother
I was desperate after losing a daughter. But thank God, I saw my son receive treatment with
my own eyes.
I wish that the war were over and we lived in peace, with no bombing. I wish treatments like
this were more readily available.