Almost five years after Syrian First Lady Asma Assad declared her successful recovery from breast cancer, the office of President Bashar Assad stated on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with leukemia.
Acute myeloid leukemia is an aggressive form of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood
The announcement revealed that Assad was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after displaying various symptoms and undergoing a comprehensive series of medical examinations. Acute myeloid leukemia is an aggressive form of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood.
As part of her treatment, she will adhere to a specialized protocol that includes strict infection prevention measures and will temporarily step back from all direct engagements. Since the start of Syria’s war in 2011, the British-born former investment banker has played a prominent role in leading charitable initiatives and meeting with the families of deceased soldiers. However, she has also faced hostility from opposition groups. She leads the Syria Trust for Development, a significant NGO overseeing many of Syria’s aid and development operations.
The conflict in Syria began with peaceful protests against Assad’s government in March 2011, which were met with a harsh crackdown, leading to a full-scale civil war. The war has resulted in the deaths of nearly half a million people and the displacement of half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. The announcement of Assad’s diagnosis coincided with her NGO’s annual Damascene Rose Festival, which celebrates the rose harvest season.
Before the announcement of her withdrawal from public events, the first lady was expected to attend the festival. Last year, she accompanied her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, marking her first official trip abroad with him since 2011. During the visit, she met Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the mother of the Emirati president, in a move seen as a public indication of her increasing role in public affairs. Asma Assad has previously battled breast cancer. In August 2019, she announced that she was “completely” free of the disease a year after her diagnosis. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, though her family hails from central Syria, the first lady is a polarizing and influential figure. She is subject to Western sanctions and has been a highly controversial figure throughout the Syrian conflict.
