Lack of electricity endangers sick child

Yassin al-Athmiin, 3, suffers from severe shortness of breath. Ever since he was born, he has lived with his parents and his three older siblings in the illegal village of Hashem Zana. Because of his illness, doctors advised his parents to leave an inhaler next to his bed at night. But the village has no electricity, and therefore his father, Talal, has to take him to Soroka Hospital three times a week, and in emergencies, to a doctor in Segev Shalom.

"I need electricity for at least a refrigerator, so that I can store Yassin's medication. I don't think the state treats the Bedouin the way it should - even an ambulance can't get to this place. What will happen if there is a serious problem and I'm not home and the boy starts palpitating? Just getting to the doctor in Segev Shalom take an hour," Talal said.

Not far from Hashem Zana is the community of Omer, whose residents have no electricity problems. Omer Council head Pini Badash, who has fought for years against illegal building in the Negev, said in yesterday in response: "The decision to recognize the illegal communities is an unfortunate decision that will encourage hooliganism and crime and make the Bedouin problem in the Negev worse." (Yanir Yagna)