Line and Hussein's little nephew is one of Gaza's war orphans: fighting to get him home

9-year-old Mohammed, who was orphaned during a shelling attack in Gaza, is a reminder of the tragic consequences that war and conflict have on the most vulnerable, the children. But it is also a story of hope, because in Aabenraa his uncle Hussein Shaheen and his wife Line are ready to welcome an extra child into the family.

Mette Westphal Henriksen mewhe@ com

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Hussein Shaheen’s brother and family have died in the Gaza war, but 9-year-old Mohammed survived, badly injured. Now his uncle Hussein Shaheen and his wife Line hope to bring him home to Aabenraa, so that he can grow up in a safe environment together with the couple’s own children Amira (right), six years old, and Adam (left), five years old. Photo: Jacob Schultz
Little Mohammed survived the grenade attack with severe injuries to his head and one eye. Even after the operation, it is not certain that he will keep his sight. Photo: Jacob Schultz
A completely ordinary everyday life at Line and Hussein Shaheen’s home in Aabenraa – and yet not so. This week, the 41-year-old is making the trip to Ankara again, to sort out the last papers so that the parents’ nephew, Mohammed, can come home. Photo: Jacob Schultz
Hussein follows the Arabic channel Al-Jazeera’s live reportage from Gaza 24/7. Photo: Jacob Schultz
– We cannot replace his mother and father, but we will do everything we can to give Mohammed a good life, says Line (th.), whose heart bleeds for the boy whom she has never met yet. Photo: Jacob Schultz