Abdelkarim Isaak Khamis is 43 old and he comes from Sudan Darfur, married to two wives with 9 children , three of them are married and the other six lives with him.
He left sudan in 2005 from the Darfur genocide and sought refuge in the neighboring Chad.
He and his family were granted asylum in Chad and lived in the Refugees camp of Jebel. Unfortunately, Chad though offered him such hospitality, there were pretty more things it was unable to fulfill, as he lived under threats from unidentified individuals, tribalism within the refugee camp, which at times resulted into the loss of properties and money. He had taught these scenarios to the UNHCR and the Chadian government but they all did nothing to bring him to safety, he had requested for resettlement for so many years even after he became a recognized refugee. So he claims that the lives of his children and his was at risky.
He despite all had no other options but to flee and Libya remained the only green option he could opt for, therefore he and his family of 13 arrived in Libya this year March. Upon their arrival in Sabha his 21 year old son Abdelraziq along with his in-law (his daughter's husband) were both kidnapped and until this moment his son's whereabouts is not known.
Arriving in Sabha, life was not known and he couldn't understood anything as he was strike hard by the disappearance of his son.
He approached the UNHCR and requested to claim asylum in libya and luckily he was accepted after three months of registration appointment. He taught the story of his kidnapped son the commission and that of his inlaw but the UNHCR did not react and they said there was nothing they could do. he was given assistance two months later after his registration.
Kremia and always had difficulties feeding his six children and two wives with the limited resources the UNHCR had given him as a provision. He searched for a job and since he is a tailor he found a Job in Gargaresh neighborhood and therefore he had to change his resident to gargaresh. he added that he lived peacefully but with limited resources to feed his children and to pay rent or treat his sick children.
He says he survived the gargaresh attack because his landlord had him informed that the libyan authorities was about to make the sweep so he was smuggled out hours prior to the raids.
He then came to the UNHCR headquarter in search of safety and the longing for protection.
He approached the commission both by phone and in person but still no one had listened to him. He tried to teach the situation of his pregnant wife to the UNHCR and how closer she was to give birth but he got ignored.
My wives, my children had to sleep on the ground with nothing to cover ourselves with, we left our home without anything, hoping to return back the following day, but the day never arrived only nightmares. I lack food to feed my little family, I lack money to access health care for my pregnant wife, I became a useless father in the eyes of my family. I was at the point of taking my own life, but looking at my pregnant wife and the thoughts of the unborn had saved me from suiciding myself.
My wife finally gave birth on the 31st of Oct while in the street in front of the UNHCR headquarter. instead of being happy or relieved that day, I felt ashamed for not being able to change such a fate, I recalled the scenes of destruction back home in Darfur, compared to my life and the lives of my children abandoned in the streets with no food not even for a breastfeeding mother. I sensed fears of almost everything, the sleepless nights, hungry tummies, and the wearying sounds of my children asking for food. The odors of urines that we constantly had to smell until it became our perfumes. I looked at my daughters in their menstrual periods all covered in blood, I had to fetch cartoons for them to use it as sanitary pads. A life that is not a life but a life because it is a life - the 43 year old father cites his sorrows. he continue to suffer along with his children and the newly born child as they sleeps all unsheltered at the campaigning site in the SARAJ neighborhood. they lack food, diapers for their newborn, milk, clean drinking water, access to toilets, life's basic necessities as whole. they have been threatened by the neighbors while trying to access toilets. now he and his entire family shits in plastic bags, urinates in empty bottles as they sleep in places piled in garbage and waste .
Abdelkarim hopes that someday the world can remember him, can listen to him, can love him, can protect him and bring him to safety with his children.
“I am an illiterate father, I never had the chance to school, I wish my children to go to school and learn, I don't want them to live in wartorn places, my children are not bad at all, they can do better I trust only if they are given opportunities”
the depressed Abdelkarim said while looking all the way to the sky.
He added that his five year old daughter has been sick for the last four years diagnosed with Anemia (loss of blood) she is not under any treatment since they arrived in Libya and he can not afford private hospitals.