On February 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes (with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.5 on the Richter scale) struck Türkiye and Syria, also affecting other countries, causing widespread destruction and exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the region. The disaster has affected tens of thousands of people – with reports that thousands have lost their lives. UNHCR is working around the clock to respond to the needs of those affected by the earthquake. In Syria, together with its partners, …
Author: tamara
Out of the many prayers that Fajr recites daily, there is one in particular that she repeats often: “I pray God extends my life until he gets old enough”. The person she is referring to is her son, Noor, whose birth granted her the nickname of “Um Noor”. Having lost her husband over six years ago, she has been the sole provider for her only son as they settled in Jordan following the Syria crisis, explaining that “Noor is my …
Among the starkest disparities faced by refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) is education: only 6% of refugees have access to higher education, while the global average enrollment among non-refugees stands at about 40%. When compounded with similar gaps in primary and secondary education, these discrepancies deny refugees and IDPs the vocational skills that would help them achieve financial independence, lift their families out of poverty, and become productive contributors to their societies. In response, UNHCR has been working hard …
As millions of people around the world celebrated over the weekend, greeting the New Year with excitement and hope, refugee families across the MENA region remained paralyzed by fear. For them, there is little to celebrate – especially those living in temporary shelters – amid a brutal winter season that has tested their limits through lack of warm clothing, inadequate meals, and rising fuel costs. This is particularly the case for refugee parents, who are facing another 365 days where …
As the New Year fast approaches and temperatures plummet, millions in the MENA region are seeking comfort in the safety of their homes – equipped with seasonal snacks, running water, and heating systems. These are all privileges that can easily be taken for granted, but for Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, the reality of winter is far more daunting. Known for its intense summer heat waves, Bekaa’s winters are just as harsh in the opposite direction. Transitioning to …
More than a decade after the Syrian crisis broke out, Syrian refugees in Lebanon are facing as much precarity as ever. Per a survey conducted jointly by UNHCR, WFP, and UNICEF, it is estimated that 90% of Syrian refugee households live in extreme poverty and are on less than half the Lebanese minimum wage. The dearth of employment opportunities stems in large part from the host country’s severe socio-economic and financial downturn due to the fuel crisis, the Beirut port …
“Temperatures here are scary [during winter]”, says Hassan, a Syrian refugee father in Lebanon. After being forced to flee his hometown during the Syrian crisis, he is one of the 339,473 Syrian refugees currently residing in Bekaa Valley, which experienced its worst snowstorm in decades earlier this year and is known for its acutely brutal winters. In preparation for this, Hassan has spent his days working in the fields to provide for his family – to little avail, “This year, …
Despite losing her father at a young age, 45-year-old Syrian refugee Salha Tammo looks back fondly on her life in Aleppo before the war, when she was debt-free and close to her brothers who provided for the family. Nowadays, though, her situation could not be more different. After being forced to flee her hometown, she has lived in a camp called Basirma in northern Iraq for nine years, where she is now the sole caregiver for her elderly mother (age …
For Om Saker, the last seven years have felt like a lifetime. After an ISIS invasion in 2015 brought war and persecution upon her hometown, she was forced to flee Hatra, Iraq and live in displacement camps for three years. She managed to return in 2018, but the life she once knew had gone: her husband went missing, making Om Saker the sole provider for her three children: Hiba, Nada and Saker; she tragically lost her 6-month-old daughter Sada during …
During the winter months, people forced to flee are faced with increased hardships and costs. As temperatures drop amid extreme weather, they struggle to meet basic needs like heating their shelters, buying warm clothes, and cooking hot meals. When people think of winter, they often associate it with thick clothes, family gatherings around fire, and a warm evening meal. But the reality is completely different for thousands of vulnerable refugees and internally displaced families in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and …
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