Taha Allavi al Hüseyin, who migrated from Karm al Cebel Rif district of Hama province in Syria, says that transportation in Hama has come to a stop and the roads were destroyed and that there is no safety in the area.
ORSAM: Could you tell us about yourself?
Taha Allavi al Hüseyin- abu Nazmi: I am from Karm al Cebel Rif district of Hama province in Syria. I am 65 years old. I have 6 children and 3 grandchildren. When I lived in Syria, I worked as a long distance dolmush driver. I had an automobile station and 8 vehicles.
ORSAM: Coudl you tell us about your life before the civil war in Syria, and what you went through during the civil war?
I have been a automobile driver for years, and I have been all across Syria. My sons also earn their living as a driver. When the civil war broke out, one of the first provinces being bombed was Hama. It is a place which had been bombed and which witnessed death also in the old times. After bombardments, urban roads and streets were so much damaged that they were all closed to traffic. When everywhere was full of barricades and under control, we could not work. When nobody came to Hama from other areas, the transportation sector came to a dead stop. There was no safety on highways either. In addition, many people were stranded due to the fuel oil problem, and they had to live with the worry of being shot. Afterwards, works came to a dead stop for security reasons. Jets, helicopters and sharpshooters in the city attacked our people for many times. Many vehicles were attacked along with the passengers inside, and so many people were killed. I had 8 vehicles, and lost two of them. When the civil war broke out, I sold 4 of them. And my son and I use the two other vehicles left for our own needs.
* This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar in Reyhanlı district of Hatay on 15 January 2013.
