Emir of Asir ends Bisha woman’s plight

ABHA — Asir Emir Prince Faisal Bin Khaled has put an end to the plight of a 70-year-old Bisha woman and her children. They were shifted to Dar Al-Dhiyafa, a social care center run by a charitable society, upon his directive. The woman, who was continuously tortured by her husband, woman would receive a monthly assistance of SR5,450 in addition to an annual aid of SR26,400 from the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). Dar Al-Dhiyafa is supervised by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Mohammed Bin Saeed Bin Sabra, chief administrator of Bisha, said the woman and her family were given accommodation at Dar Al-Dhiyafa soon after receiving the emir’s directive. Asked whether police had arrested the woman’s husband, Sabra said: “Our primary concern was to provide protection to the woman and her children and take care of their health and other humanitarian aspects. We’ll look into the woman’s conflict with her husband later.” The woman is visually impaired and has been staying at a hospital for the last eight months, Sabra said, adding that she has been suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. “She has refused to return to her home once and for all. She also refused to leave the hospital without her children,” the administrator told Al-Madina Arabic daily. He said the woman’s husband had refused to take custody of his wife and her sons but the emir's’s directive helped end her tragedy and solve her financial problems. Prince Faisal had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Sabra to look into the woman’s case which was under focus on social media. Saad Bin Abdullah Al-Thabit, spokesman of the Asir governorate and supervisor of media affairs at the emir’s office, said the committee has been following the woman’s condition at the hospital. “We have collected all relevant documents related to the woman’s case to take necessary action,” the spokesman said. Speaking about the committee’s efforts, he said it took the woman to Dar Al-Dhiyafa, communicated with her husband and took measures against him, and ensured the family’s unity. The committee will continue its efforts to ensure the family’s stability and ease her children’s mental suffering, Al-Thabit told the Arabic daily. The family included the woman’s daughters and a handicapped son. The committee which was set up to study the woman’s case included Bisha police chief, health affairs director, head of the social affairs center, female director of the charitable society and female supervisor of Dar Al-Dhiyafa, the Arabic daily reported.