Barran Press - Inas Al-Hemiary
In the throes of war and conflict, families are thrust into the horrors of death and displacement. Amidst the bitter and terrifying circumstances, resilience and hope are often their only lifelines. This is the story of Adel Mansour Sufyan Saeed (54), a teacher who has endured relentless hardship throughout the years of war, yet whose heart still clings to hope.
Adel's life has been marked by years of fear, displacement, shelling, death, and unhealed wounds. He and his family continue to bear the brunt of these harsh realities.
Once living peacefully in his home in the Hodeidah neighborhood of Taiz (southwest Yemen), Adel, his wife, and their four children were forced to flee to Al-Turbah in 2016 as the Houthi group intensified their advance into the city.
Even after years have passed, those days filled with pain and fear remain vivid in his memory, as Adel recounted to "Barran Press."
After Taiz was liberated, Adel decided to return with his family to their home in Hodeidah, hoping to end their ordeal of displacement and homelessness.
Upon returning, they were devastated to find their home looted and completely destroyed.
Despite this, Adel found it impossible to settle in his home due to ongoing Houthi shelling in residential neighborhoods. In November of the same year, he fled once again, this time to Aden, the temporary capital of the country (southern Yemen).
However, even in Aden, displacement brought new challenges. Shells followed them wherever they went, leading them to return to Taiz during Ramadan in 2017.
While there was a glimmer of hope for stability, fate had other plans. On January 1, 2017, while Adel's son Ahmed (9) was playing with friends in the neighborhood, a "Katyusha" rocket struck, killing Ahmed instantly.
This unbearable grief struck the family hard, but it was not the last sorrow they would endure.
Months later, on December 26, 2017, while Adel and his second son Hamza (17) were in front of their home, another shell exploded. Adel suffered severe injuries, leading to the partial amputation of his leg, while Hamza was hit by shrapnel.
Hamza was taken to the hospital's intensive care unit but succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Adel not only lost part of his leg but also endured the agony of losing both his eldest and youngest sons in this relentless war.
The trauma was too much for his wife, who suffered from severe depression after the loss of their sons.
Despite Adel's attempts to seek treatment and help, he found no support from government agencies or humanitarian organizations, as he explained to "Barran Press."
Adel's pleas for assistance to treat his partially amputated leg were met with neglect and indifference. His hopes were pinned on government aid, but he was repeatedly told, "You are a civilian, and we do not have the capacity to help you," he said.
As time passed, Adel decided to leave his home in the shelling-prone area and moved to Al-Dhubwa, where he rented a new house with his wife and surviving sons (Mohammed and Mansour).
Today, Adel faces immense challenges. His salary as a teacher is insufficient to meet his family's basic needs, and he struggles daily to maintain his dignity and family's safety. Despite everything, hope still lingers in his heart.
Adel shared with "Barran Press" photos of his injuries, his home during the shelling and looting, and medical documents proving his health condition and treatment needs. He hopes to overcome his suffering and that his losses will end here.
Adel Mansour's story is not just one of immense pain and loss but also of individual resilience in the face of war and destruction.It is a call to humanity not to ignore those crushed by war, who have not lost hope for life-saving help, hope, and a better tomorrow.