Dooah Shaal and her four children – Izmir, Turkey

This young family, originally from Aleppo, has found refuge from the Syrian conflict in Izmir, Turkey. Dooah and her husband, Muhammad, now deceased, and their four children were living on the first floor of a house in which Muhammad’s parents inhabited the second, in a neighborhood known as Sayf-al-Dawla. Bombings destroyed this second floor and forced all family members into the first floor. Airstrikes also destroyed the children’s school, and many other buildings in the area. In the midst of this chaos, Dooah left Syria with her children, including newborn Besan, on one of the “Green Buses”, the forced migrations initiated by the Syrian government. Now in Izmir, Turkey, the three oldest attend school regularly, while the baby, Besan, is with Dooah throughout the day. The family has found housing with a good landlord, and are close to in-laws who offer some support. And with the money from recent ARC donations, there have been significant repairs to this home which have improved health and safety conditions for the family.

Dooah, who used to work in a restaurant in Syria, would like to work again to support her family. She is a skilled cook and takes much pride and pleasure in this talent. Currently, though, it is a challenge to to leave home for long periods of time, as she needs to be with Besan. The family’s medical concerns are for Bayen and Layen, who both have asthma, a condition for which doctor visits and medications are generally necessary. Bayen also needs braces.

ARC is working in coordination with volunteer Benjamin Gow to assist Dooah and her children, as well as with the Revi organization in Turkey (http://revifamily.org). To learn more about Dooah and her four girls, please contact Ben at