Doctors and relatives advised the heavily
pregnant woman against travelling - but as
the bombardment intensified she became determined
to leave.
A Mother’s Fear
"I am too panicked about my children's safety,"
she told Islamic Relief staff as they helped
her onto the back of one of their aid trucks.
The trucks were part of an Islamic
Relief aid convoy that had just delivered
emergency relief to Falluja. On the return
journey the aid trucks were used to evacuate
30 families, mostly women and children,
fleeing the violence.
Trust in God
Leaving her husband behind in Falluja, Sadiyya
planned to take her children to the relative
safety of nearby Baghdad although she had
no idea where she would stay that night.
When asked where she would find shelter,
Sadiyya replied, "I have no relatives in
Baghdad, but Allah is great and He will
not leave us on our own".
Road to Baghdad
The journey of around 50km was not long,
but dangerous. IR member of staff, Hashim
Hassan recalled the tension on board the
truck. “The situation was dreadful
as we expected to be hit at any moment,”
he said.
This was the moment Sadiyya’s baby
chose to enter the world. The labour took
everyone’s minds off the immediate
threat.
“The delivery released some of our
worries as all our attention was directed
towards the mother and child,” added
Hassan.
Somewhere on the road to Baghdad, baby Mohammed
was born and wrapped up snugly in a bright
pink blanket.
Warm Reception
As the truck carrying the new-born baby
and 30 families entered Baghdad they were
greeted by a crowd of people insisting they
stop and inviting all the displaced families
to become their guests.
As people learnt of baby Mohammed’s
birth, a man immediately volunteered to
take the mother and child to hospital.
“Allah has answered our prayers,”
said Sadiyya as she was helped off the truck.
Seeking Shelter
Over 120,000 people have fled the battered
town of Falluja during the military assault,
some finding shelter with relatives, while
most have been taken in by the residents
of Baghdad who have shown generous hospitality
to their fellow Iraqis.
Islamic Relief’s offices have been
flooded with donations of food and medicine
from ordinary people in Baghdad eager to
share whatever they can spare from the little
they own.