Ghoufran is a seven-year-old child from Benghazi, who lost two fingers in the explosion of an unidentified object in early October while on vacation with her family at Susa Resort in Jebel Akhdar, east of Benghazi.

“Goufran and her cousin were playing nearby when I heard the sound of a big explosion,” recalled her mother bitterly.

“My brother rushed my little girl, whose hand was heavily bleeding, to Susa Hospital where she was transferred to Al Bayda Hospital, which lacked the adequate specialties so they took her in an ambulance to Galaa Hospital in Benghazi.”

Ghoufran is a seven-year-old child from Benghazi, who lost two fingers in the explosion of an unidentified object in early October while on vacation with her family at Susa Resort in Jebel Akhdar, east of Benghazi.

“Goufran and her cousin were playing nearby when I heard the sound of a big explosion,” recalled her mother bitterly.

“My brother rushed my little girl, whose hand was heavily bleeding, to Susa Hospital where she was transferred to Al Bayda Hospital, which lacked the adequate specialties so they took her in an ambulance to Galaa Hospital in Benghazi.”

Once in Benghazi, the family was forced to travel 300 kilometers to the hospital. “We arrived at night, where doctors anesthetized Ghoufran to ease her pain and she was taken into surgery since most of her fingers were burnt. Afterwards, the doctor told us that he was sorry to inform us that Ghoufran had lost two of her fingers.”

The family still does not know what exploded near the child and how such a thing could happen at a summer resort for families

His hand was amputated

Every day, thirteen-year-old Faraj Zoubi contemplates his amputated left hand, which was removed following an injury caused by the explosion of a TNT-handmade grenade.

“We come from Sirte, which is a poor neighborhood in Benghazi. Ever since the revolution, we hear the sound of gunshots and explosions that shake our buildings and we spend our nights in panic,” Faraj’s mother said. “Whenever I heard an explosion, I feared for my youngest, Faraj, even when he is right by my side.”

“On Sunday, October 6, 2013, I was at home with my daughters and sister when we heard a very powerful explosion. I rushed to the window to see my son running and screaming ‘My arm! My arm!’ The neighbors then rushed him to a nearby clinic where he was transferred to Galaa Hospital and we later found out that his arm was amputated and lost forever.”

Unlike his mother, Faraj still has hope that he’ll get his arm back, even if it is synthetic. He said he found the grenade on the ground and grabbed it. He was surprised that it was extremely hot so he moved it to the other hand to throw it, but it exploded before he was able to do it. “I was with three other children who were not hurt,” he added.

Crowded hospital

Faraj’s mother complained about the difficulty of calling doctors to examine and follow up on her son’s condition—a problem in the urinary tract and other wounds in his body caused by the shrapnel from the explosive.

In just two weeks, between September 25 and  October 10, 2013 Galaa Hospital has admitted 35  such cases as a result of random injuries by weapons circulated among citizens.

Armed robbery

Ziad Ammami, a 20-year-old man from Alfwehat, Benghazi, was shot by two gunmen who tried to steal his cellphone.

His father said Ziad was injured in his upper lip and jaw, which was broken, as were three of his teeth.  The bullet is still static inside his mouth and removing the bullet’s operation is not easy according to the doctors.

 “Ziad defended himself and scared the guys to back off a bit, but one of them directed a shot to the ground, which bounced up to hit Ziad in the face,” the father said. The gunman was arrested, but he has not ruled out the probability of a vengeance act against the offender’s tribe.

Accessible to everyone

Availability of weapons among ordinary citizens other than security and army officers indicates the deteriorated security condition of the country, which threatens the safety of the people in the absence of regulations against the use of weapons that are accessible to even children, especially since families keep their weapons at home.

Khalid Sharif, a Judge at the Court of First Instance of Benghazi, said, “The issue of weapons regulation is one of the important issues at the current transitional phase being substantially associated with the sovereignty and efficiency of the state.”

“It is fruitless to assign this mission to one ministry or avoid it by separating the legislative and executive aspects of the state. It is unacceptable to delay finding a solution to this problem due to the grave danger of its consequences.”