Guyanese Woman Trapped in Syria After ISIS Man Lured Her via Facebook, Begs Ali To Save Her

A 29-year-old woman from Guyana is stuck in a refugee camp in Syria. The woman identified as Rafena Kumar has asked President Dr Irfaan Ali to bring her back to safety along with her two kids.

She ended up in Syria after coming in contact with a man from Facebook. The duo ended up having a friendly relationship that influenced Rafena Kumar travel all the way to Syria.

Kumar said the man was named Tayyab Abbasi, who claimed to work for an organization that provided assistance to people displaced due to war in Syria.

“I told him I was concerned, and he convinced me that the organization was located in a safe area away from conflict,” Kumar stated. I was convinced at the time that helping others was a positive thing for humanity. I made the decision to travel without realizing that going to Syria was a mistake.”

Kumar went on to say that she didn’t meet Abbasi until she arrived in Turkey, and the two travelled to Syria together. She claimed that once she arrived, she learned Abbasi had lied about everything. He is, she claims, an ISIS member.

“When I found out, I snuck myself out of the country, assuming I was being transported to Turkey so I could return home.” Instead, the smuggler transported me to a community that was not under ISIS control, but it was only a matter of time before ISIS took over more country and it became hard to escape.

Rafena said she surrendered to the Kurdish forces and was detained in a repatriation camp. According to the Kurdish, the Guyana government and authorities must request that I be returned. Kumar stated, “I’ve been locked in the camp for three years.”

Kumar went on to say that she is now the mother of two children, three and five years old. Abdullah Abbasi, who was born on May 3, 2016, and Salhudeen Reitz, who was born on August 28, 2018.

She alleges that her living conditions are deplorable, and she fears for the future of her children, whom she claims are “being robbed of an education.” Following high school, Rafena moved on to the Guyana School of Nursing, where she finished four years of training.