Underground paradise for Syrian orphans

Aleppo children aged 2-14 eat, sleep, play and study in an underground camp as bombing continues overhead.

Moumayazoun underground orphanage in Aleppo city. Photo: Guardian.

Moumayazoun (Outstanding Children) Orphanage of Asmar Halabi and his wife is a place to take care ofchildren lost parents and homes due to warAleppo city.

According to the Guardian, before the war, Halabi was a businessman. WifeOlder brotherwas injured in an airstrike on his school two years ago. The couple still have no children.

Last year, after activists expressed concern about the growing number of poor children struggling to make ends meet, the orphanage was established and has space for more than 100 children.

“We did a survey on the number of children who have lost one or both parents, and sadly the number is not small,” Halabi said.

With support from a charity and individuals abroad, Halabi and his team spent six months renovating a building into dormitories and classrooms.

However, with the increasing intensity of the bombings, these civilian targets such as houses, markets, hospitals, schools and orphanages were no longer safe. They then decided to move underground.work.

"When the planes came, we went down to the basement with the children," Halabi said, adding that they had all the facilities but could not go outside. "We used to take them to the gardens to play. Unfortunately, the shelling and attacks were so constant that we had to stop going out completely. We were concerned about the safety of the children."

Halabi said he and the children had changed in unusual ways due to the harsh life they faced.

“For example, they used to feel scared when they heard the sound of planes, but now they want to go outside and look up at the sky to see jets or helicopters every time they hear a noise above their heads,” he said.

Asmar Halabi, director of an orphanage in Aleppo. Photo: Guardian.

Halabi’s team of 25 includes chefs, security guards and teachers of all subjects. They also include full-time psychologists with a dedicated area to counsel traumatized children, like Yasmeen.

Yasmeen was found begging on the streets by volunteers. She was terrified of the dark after losing both her parents. However, she is now the most developed child in her class and is top of her class.

"To be honest, when the children arrived here, it was very difficult because they had been through a lot, but after a few months, they all improved," Halabi said. "Our goal is to protect them and educate them to be successful in the future. Most of the children lost both parents in the war, about 5% lost only one parent, but the other parent often has mental problems and cannot care for the child."

Two siblings, Omar, 12, and Mufedah, 13, lost their father. Their mother suffered a nervous breakdown and then disappeared. They were forced by their uncle to beg for food and spare change in Ale.ppo. The two brothers were found by Halabi's group sleeping in the stairwell of their uncle's apartment building.

My new housea colorful children's play area with swings, a crafts area, computers and other games. There is also a stage where psychologists and teachers try to help children recover from trauma through plays.

Unlike support groups in refugee camps, Halabi's group not only helps children overcome painful memories but also prepares them mentally to face the challenges ahead.

Vibrant space inside the orphanage. Photo: Guardian.

Opposition-held areas have been besieged by government forces for nearly a month now, and although the army's siege has been broken in many places, most of Aleppo's civilians remain trapped.

"Recently, we are staging a play about"The siege was loud, with rap and revolutionary songs, even though the kids didn't understand what 'siege' really meant," Halabi said.

As the possibility of a siege grew, they considered evacuating to Türkiye but ultimately decided not to leave. Aleppo is their old home.a them and most of all, every day there are still many people dying, leaving behind desperate children.

“We are like one big family here,” Halabi said. “There is no other orphanage in Aleppo.”

According to VNE