JEDDAH: Suffering from malnutrition, an old Saudi resident of the flood-hit Karantina district of south Jeddah is described as a “breathing mummy” due to his physical appearance of only “skin and bones.”
Relief workers distributing aid to survivors of last month’s Jeddah floods visited Abdullah Faraj, who is in his 70s, at his home on Thursday, Al-Watan newspaper reported.
Faraj is bedridden and lives alone in a modest dwelling. His neighbors provide him with what little help they can, something that allows him to survive.
Local residents led relief workers to Faraj’s home along with officials from the Health Affairs Department and the Jeddah municipality.
“It’s heartbreaking just looking at him,” said a doctor from the Health Affairs Department who checked Faraj’s health.
“He is anorexic, his immune system is weak and he has acute inflammation in the prostate,” he added. Speaking to Al-Watan, Faraj poured out his heart.
“I have no one to look after me and I have no one to help me financially. I can’t say no to the little aid that some of my neighbors give me, especially after I became severely ill,” he said.
One of his neighbors said the old man used to work at a post office in the Balad district and that he was forced to retire after growing old.
“He was taken to a Social Affairs-run shelter a long time ago,” said the neighbor.
“He, however, returned after some time. No one knows why or how he came back. He’s been this ill ever since,” the neighbor added.
