Name: Blind residents of Syria’s ‘camp of light’ face freezing winter
Uploaded: 2025-12-16T09:20:48.323Z
Duration: 3 min 2 s
Description: In Syria’s ‘camp of light’, blind residents endure winter cold without NGO aid, relying on resilience to keep life moving.

In Syria’s ‘camp of light’, blind residents endure winter cold without NGO aid, relying on resilience to keep life moving.

Idlib Governorate

Al Noor camp in northwest Syria provides a rare safe space for 126 displaced families, each with at least one blind member. Residents, including adults and children, demonstrate resilience and self-reliance, with specialized infrastructure such as Braille signage and accessible pathways supporting their independence. 

Despite their determination, the camp faces significant challenges, particularly during winter, as support from NGOs has diminished. Community leaders have appealed for assistance to provide heating and basic needs, while a waiting list of families hoping to join highlights the ongoing demand for such inclusive environments.

Blind residents of Syria’s ‘camp of light’ face freezing winter

Ayman Arbud was born without the ability to see, but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing his passion to become a mechanic. He fixes washing machines, installs water and electricity, and navigates every task through touch. My work is mostly done by touch, so I can know where the screw is. I learn how to fix basic parts, but I need help to fix complicated ones. When I was a child, I wanted to prove that blind people can do anything. His wife Hasna was also born without sight. Smell and touch guide her as she cooks for their family. Together, they insist on self-reliance, not handouts. They live in Al Noor camp, the camp of light, home to 126 displaced families, each with one or more blind members. Built through cooperation between community members, it's become a rare safe space. Children here navigate easily to class. They learn Braille in both Arabic and English. In this classroom, there are reminders of the tragedy. The teacher Noor lost her sight because of an airstrike. But there is also hope, as little Jameela wants to become a dentist. We have Yasmin, who wants to become a doctor, and Amal wants to become an engineer. Noor, one of their teachers, lost one eye to cancer, and the other when shrapnel hit her during an airstrike. I became completely blind during my baccalaureate. I suffered displacement and bombing. Here, people respected me. The new government cares about people with special needs. I applied to the education directorate, and they hired me. I stay with my blind students until they finish their studies. I tell them to be patient. God's help is with us. The camp itself is designed around sensory independence. White streets, brick homes marked with Braille signs, and pathways that help people find their way with confidence. Amal runs the camp. He says everything here is done through volunteer effort, but even resilience has its limits. And he's appealing for help to deal with the harsh winter. We as blind people have families in this camp. We suffer from a lack of support as NGOs shifted to newly liberated areas. We asked for help to provide heating for this winter. No one's responded so far. With 140 blind residents, some families have up to four members without sight. A small market, a mosque, and a children's park offer a sense of normal life, something many in other camps still wait for. There's already a waiting list of families hoping to join. In this tight-knit community, children grow up determined to prove that their disability should not be a barrier. In a quiet corner of a war-scarred country, they work at their own pace, building a future, lit not by sight, but by resilience. Osama Bin Javed, Al Jazeera, Al Noor Camp for the Blind, Northwest Syria.

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