Syrian refugee, infant suffer burns in acid attack

A Syrian national and his 11-month-old child suffered burns as they were allegedly attacked with acid during an argument with residents in West Delhi’s Vikaspuri recently.

The incident came to light when an FIR was registered after they sought medical help.

Rafat, who has been living on the streets with his wife Marisa, 26, and their child near the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), shared the ordeal.

He said after losing his job at a call centre, he reached out to the UNHCR for assistance, “But the official denied us all help and we had no choice but to live on the road.”

It is suspected that this situation led to tensions with the local residents, who reportedly mistreated the family.

Recalling the attack, Rafat said he saw the perpetrators from afar holding a can and sensed danger. “I tried to run away, but I couldn’t get too far before they threw something on me and my son. My skin started to burn.”

Marisa said, “When I reached the hospital, my son had burn injuries on his face, especially around the eyes, neck and chest. I thought that I would lose him. How can someone do this to a baby? Do they not have children?”

Rafat said he came to India to study in 2015, where he met Marisa in a college in Bengaluru. Their relationship was disapproved by their families, leading to estrangement and they dropped out of college to take odd jobs.

“Soon, the war started in Syria, and I could not think of taking my family back there,” he said. They moved to Delhi almost two years ago, but faced financial hardships that prompted them to contact the UNHCR for help.

Following the attack, the Brave Souls Foundation, an NGO that supports acid attack survivors, reached out to Rafat and provided legal assistance.

Shaheen, the founder of the Brave Souls Foundation, said, “This is a highly shocking incident in which an acidic substance was thrown on a man and an infant. It seems it is still so easy for people to procure acid in the capital. Availability of corrosive substances can so easily ruin the lives of people.”