A Letter to the People of the UK From a Syrian Mother

In 2014 my husband was kidnapped by ISIS. I do not know if he is alive or dead, and every day I pray for some news of his well-being. Eighteen months ago we made the difficult decision to leave. But the problem throughout the world is that nobody wants Syrian people. To the rest of the world Syrian people and their children are very cheap; their blood is very cheap. We don't come to Europe to eat, we don't come here to have a flat. I stayed for years in Syria without much food, we stayed for five years without a lot of things. I don't want to eat, and I can stay in the streets if I need to. But I don't want to see my children dead in front of my eyes.
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My name is Hala, I am a Syrian woman and mother of four children. My family and I are the subject of a documentary following our experience in Aleppo and our journey across Europe to safety, called Children on the Frontline: The Escape.

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Before the war we were living a very good life in Aleppo. I have a university education, my husband had a university education, and we were living quite well. Before, I would look at people who were less fortunate with fewer things and feel quite saddened about that. When the worst happened and Syria descended into war my husband and I both made a decision to stay and fight on.

In 2014 my husband was kidnapped by ISIS. I do not know if he is alive or dead, and every day I pray for some news of his well-being. We stayed in Aleppo after he was kidnapped but 18 months ago we made the difficult decision to leave.

The problem throughout the world is that nobody wants Syrian people. My fellow Syrians must decide to stay in a war zone, because nobody wants our people. We don't have any choice, we must either decide to stay or travel by sea - nobody wants any Syrian people and I don't know why.

I hope for all the governments in the world to decide only one thing, to take on Bashar al-Assad and let all of these Syrian people return home, into their houses. It is very easy. For Obama, for anyone. After all that has happened passed, nobody could even dream of the things that have gone on happened in Syria.

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It is very dangerous for our children and very bad to see your child under the stones and rubble where you can take only his hand or only his leg. It is a very, very bad thing. Nobody sees these things. Any person who has children must understand the danger our children are in. If harm comes to any child it is a problem.

But to the rest of the world Syrian people and their children are very cheap; their blood is very cheap. We don't come to Europe to eat, we don't come here to have a flat. I stayed for years in Syria without much food, we stayed for five years without a lot of things. I don't want to eat, and I can stay in the streets if I need to, I am not afraid of anything. But I don't want to see my children dead in front of my eyes. All we need is four walls and a ceiling, and to be safe with our children. I do this not for myself, but for my children.

I hope to return to Syria with my children and be together, and sleep in the same place, in peace. But I don't want to stay alive without my children; everyone from Syria comes to Germany or another country in Europe for this reason. All the people must know that nobody comes here to take food from another person, or to take his job or his flat, we want to be safe and we want all the world to speak the truth of what is happening; to share what has happened in Syria. The whole world is a big house for everyone, and we are a big family. This is the letter I want to give to all the world.

Children on the Frontline, a Dispatches special, will be on Channel 4 tonight at 10pm

Images copyright Channel 4.