DAMASCUS: The first lady of Syria, Asma al-Assad, has been diagnosed with leukemia, announced the Syrian presidency on Tuesday.
The diagnosis comes nearly five years after she fully recovered from breast cancer.
According to the statement, Asma, 48, will undergo a special treatment protocol stepping away from public engagements and requiring her to isolate.
She had announced her full recovery from early-detected breast cancer in 2019. Since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, the British-born former investment banker has led charity campaigns and engaged with families of deceased soldiers, despite facing hostility from the opposition.
Currently, she is the head of Syria Trust for Development, a major NGO overseeing several aid and development initiatives in the country.
Last year, she visited the United Arab Emirates with her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, marking her first foreign official trip with him since 2011. During the visit, she met Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the mother of the Emirati president.
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