At 78, Ikrimah has lived through war, displacement, and the heartbreak of family separation. A Syrian father of five, he spent 12 years as a refugee in Jordan before returning to Syria. His three sons , Basem and Ahmad in Irbid, and Mohammad in Zaatari camp, remain in Jordan, while his two daughters, Basmah and Awatif, have returned to Syria.

To protect his children, Ikrimah sent them ahead to Jordan in 2013, following them shortly after. Now back in Syria, he lives with his daughter Basmah, a widowed mother of eight who lost four children during the war. She returned five months ago after seven years in Jordan, bringing with her six orphaned daughters and three sons. “I decided to come back because I have children and orphans to care for,” Basmah says. “At first, I was responsible for an orphaned family, and my own children were orphans too—two families. It became too difficult, so I returned with them.”

To support her family, Basmah reopened a small pastry shop. A one-time cash grant of $400 from UNHCR, as part of our support for returnees, helped her restock supplies and meet basic needs. “We received $400 two days after we returned,” Ikrimah explains. “It helps cover some of our needs. First, I can support my daughters—give them part of it—and the rest goes to household essentials. It’s something, thank God.”

But the challenges remain immense. Ikrimah’s pension is just 250,000 Syrian pounds—about $20—barely enough for a day’s expenses. “These girls—these orphans—just need a source for a living, to live with some dignity,” he says.

Despite the hardships, hope endures. Basmah dreams of a better future for her children. “If God grants me a longer life, I pray He lets me live long enough to see them enroll in the university,” she says. “I’m doing everything I can—for their living and for the boys’ as well.”

The family longs for the day they can reunite. Ikrimah’s sons in Jordan are planning to return, but the upper floor of the family home still needs repairs. “God willing, with your help, we can restore the house so they can live in it,” says Basmah. “My eldest son has around 17 or 18 people in his household. Basem, the eldest, has 11, and his married children each one has 3 or 4 children.”

For Ikrimah and Basmah, the dream is simple: to live together again, to see their children thrive, and to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Thanks to Zakat funds, UNHCR was able to support 838 internally displaced families – some 4,189 people – in Syria in the first half of 2025.