Algerian family torn apart by tuberculosis

All the family members except the father, the grand-daughter and another disabled girl, died of tuberculosis in the locality of Saida (western Algeria). The disease which is supposed to be eradicated in most of the communities, is still killing in the under- developed ones like Algeria.

• The family comprised of five children and their parents were living in precarious conditions in the shanty compound downtown the locality of Saida. The family was so poor that they were living on the neighbors’ charity as the father was jobless since they quit their original land in 1997.
• According to the neighbors, the family didn’t benefit from the housing program initiated by the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika as part of the slum clearance campaign. The fact of living by the river in a dumpy ground was the main causes of the death of the family, according to the neighbors. Zouaoui Kouider lost four girls: Fatna (35), Fatima (31), Aicha(28),and Meriem (24) and the sole survivor , Karima (24) disabled .
• Despite his deep sorrow, the father let our reporters inside his miserable room and started to talk about he tragedy that swept away all his family as tears were rolling down his face. M Zouaoui is now thinking about the fate of his surviving daughter whose life is threatened by the same disease and is considerably diminished after the death of her whole family.
• The family decided to settle in the slums fleeing terrorist during the black decade, but misery was even bigger as they were excluded the committee in charge of supervising the housing plan and were left to their own in the middle of nowhere.