A health authority has relocated an orphaned Syrian infant who was born last week’s earthquake under the debris of her destroyed home to a “safe location.”
According to a source who spoke to the BBC, the Afrin Health Directorate took the precautionary measure to safeguard the girl, Aya, from potential kidnapping and adoption fraud.
She was receiving medical care at a hospital in the area controlled by the opposition when there was a violent incident there on Monday.
The manager allegedly received physical abuse from a male nurse and two armed men.
Dr. Ahmad Hajj Hassan, the director of the health directorate, refuted claims made on social media that Aya’s kidnapping attempt had failed.
“The kidnapping accusations were false. This had absolutely nothing to do with the baby and was an internal hospital problem, “To the BBC, he spoke.
Following extensive coverage of her story in local and international media last week, thousands of people expressed interest in adopting the infant.
According to the source, the health directorate is determined to put her welfare first and proceed cautiously with the adoption process.
Aya’s mother gave birth not long after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey on February 6 destroyed their family home in the town of Jindayris.
She gave birth to Aya, who was still attached by her umbilical cord when rescuers discovered her. She later passed away.
A man was seen carrying the baby, who was covered in dust, in dramatic video that was posted on social media.
Aya’s father, four siblings, and an aunt perished in the catastrophe as well.
The infant was delivered to the hospital in Afrin by Khalil al-Suwadi, a distant relative who was present when she was pulled to safety.
Aya arrived in “a bad state,” according to Dr. Hani Marouf, the pediatrician who is treating her, who spoke to the BBC last Thursday. He continued, “She was cold and barely breathing; she had bumps and bruises.
She responded favorably to the medication, and the following day her condition had stabilized.
According to Khalid Attiah, the hospital’s manager, his wife was nursing Aya alongside their own four-month-old daughter, and they would take care of her until she was adopted.
One of the worst-affected towns in Syria was Jindaryis, which is located about 8 km (5 miles) from the Turkish border. There have been 200 buildings that have totally collapsed.
517 bodies have reportedly been pulled from the rubble in those areas, according to the White Helmets, a group of volunteer first responders who have been leading the search and rescue operation.
The White Helmets and opposition leaders say that 90% of the 4.6 million people who lived in the area and needed humanitarian aid even before the disaster were killed.
