Jamil and Halima fled their home in Afrin, Syria, in 2012 when conflict reached their doorstep. Since then, they’ve been displaced multiple times—first within Syria, then across the border into Lebanon, where they’ve moved from Beirut to the Bekaa Valley, and most recently to Tripoli.

Each move has brought new hardship. Work is scarce, income is unpredictable, and winter brings a new layer of suffering.

“We slept on the street,” Halima recalls. “It was cold, windy—I have children. I was afraid myself.”

Their son Khalil, born during the war, developed an eye condition after a traumatic bombing incident. Doctors have recommended surgery, but the cost—around $1,000—is far beyond their reach.

“If I work, we eat. If I don’t, we don’t,” Jamil says. “I’ve taken him to four doctors. They all say the same thing: he needs surgery. But I can’t afford it.”

Winter is especially harsh for the family. Without stable shelter or heating, they rely on whatever they can find to stay warm. Their children, already affected by trauma, are vulnerable to illness and cold. “We’ve been displaced again and again. What we want now is just to keep our children safe and warm.”

Thanks to Zakat and Sadaqah funds, UNHCR was able to support 15,516 refugee families – some 70,629 people – in Lebanon during the first half of 2025.