“I Stepped on the Threshold—and My Life Changed Forever”
In the Al-Raqqa countryside, families rebuild lives interrupted by conflict. Anoud, 55 years old, is learning to walk again after losing her leg to a landmine explosion.
Anoud at home | © HI
Anoud lives in the small village of Kherbet Al-Haloul, in the Al-Mansoura subdistrict. Until earlier this year, she spent her days caring for sheep, tending to her home, and making cheese and yogurt. “My life was full of activity,” she recalls. “I looked after the sheep, supported my family, and moved often because of our work.”
Returning home is dangerous
Anoud’s life changed in January 2025 when a return visit to her long-abandoned home ended in tragedy.
After hostilities in her area ended in late 2024, Anoud returned to her village to check on her house. “The first two times I went in, nothing happened,” she says. “But the third time, as I stepped over the threshold, a landmine planted by the door detonated.”
The blast threw her across the room. Conscious and aware, Anoud looked down to see her left leg badly wounded and bleeding. Her daughter and sister-in-law carried her outside, where her brother—who had been visiting his nearby home—rushed her to a hospital in Aleppo. There, surgeons had to amputate her leg below the knee.
Since then, Anoud has faced a series of challenges. “I can’t walk or go to the toilet by myself anymore,” she explained. Her 22-year-old son has taken over caring for her and for the family’s livestock. Her husband, 65, is unable to work due to health issues.
With support from HI, she began a course of physical rehabilitation and received psychological support. “The phantom pain is still hard to bear,” she says, “but the sessions helped me move beyond grief.”
Prosthetic leg and rehabilitation
Once Anoud’s rehabilitation is complete and her doctors give the green light, she will be fitted with a prosthetic leg at a specialized centre in Raqqa Hospital.
Yes, of course,” she says when asked if she hopes to return to shepherding. “I love that work.”
Though she now lives in partial isolation—something common for many rural shepherding families—Anoud remains deeply connected to her loved ones. “My family supported me throughout my treatment,” she says. “They are the most important thing in my life.”
When asked what message she would share with others affected by landmines, Anoud’s voice is steady: “Be patient and never lose hope. And always be cautious when visiting areas that may be contaminated.”
