ZUHÊR EL-IDLIBÎ

Idlib– The people of Idlib have suffered from the civil war in Syria for nearly 10 years. They have been adversely affected by the changing demographic structure. Those who want to make a living in the city work under economic exploitation while those who want to start their own business face fraud and plunderers. The first victims of thieves and plunderers are women who want to start their own business or who have their own business. Heyfa El Omar is one of these women. She has a clothing shop. She went to her shop one morning and she found her shop plundered. 37-year-old Heyfa El Omar is not the first woman whose shop has been plundered.

“My shop was plundered and my seven thousand dollars were stolen”

Heyfa El Omar’s husband was killed in the bombardment on Maarat El Numan town in 2017 and she has tried to stand on her own legs since then: “When I lost my husband in the bombardment, we had to sell everything and move to Idlib. I started my own business to stand on my own legs, without depending on anyone. But my clothing shop was plundered on April 13 and my seven thousand dollars in the shop were stolen.”

“Those responsible have not been identified”

Heyfa El Omar met many women like herself when she applied to the official authorities to make up for her loss and to find those responsible. However, those responsible haven’t been identified yet and she is now trying to earn a living under very difficult conditions.

Nof El Raayi's house was also broken into

Nof El Raayi’s house was broken into by persons wearing black face masks. She lost all of her relatives in the ongoing war in Syria. “A group of men wearing black face masks broke into my house one night. After they chained me up, they stole everything in my house.” The neighbors of Nof El Raayi heard noises from her house and went to her house to help her.

The perpetrators of killed women haven’t been found

The women of Idlib haven’t suffered from only robbery and plunder. 35-year-old Ebir El Mihemed, who lived in the Heleb Lebih neighborhood of Idlib, was killed after being robbed by four men. The body of 40-year-old Rewan El Heseke was found days after being killed. She was first kidnapped, and then killed after being robbed. The perpetrators of these women haven’t been found yet.

Idlib Women's Security Center Coordination member Safaa Deyûb drew attention to the increase of domestic violence against women as well as to the robbery and plundering crimes against women. Stating that life in Idlib is getting harder for women day by day, Safaa Deyûb said, “Especially women who came to Idlib from other cities have been subjected to the heaviest form of violence. The relatives of some killed women don't even look for them. We live in days when humanity has no meaning.”