Violence in Syria is Forcing Families Like Amira’s to Move Every Few Months

“My family’s situation is very difficult. We depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Sometimes, my husband and I work for local farmers for a small amount of money, but there is no stability, so we cannot rely on this as an income.”
Amira’s 13-year-old son had to drop out of school due to the family’s constant movement. Amira is devastated when she speaks about his future.

“I want my children to go to school but there is no hope for this at the moment. The schools that are still open, are very far from the camp. I am very sad. I feel that their future is lost before my eyes and I can do nothing to help.”
She says the family must rely on humanitarian aid and borrowed money in order to survive.

“Living in the camp deprives us of many essential things, such as food. We can’t find vegetables, meat or chicken. During the rare times that these are available, we usually don’t have enough money to buy them. Thank God, we are still alive because we have wheat and rice.”

Amira says that her mental health depends on her few daily activities. “I clean our makeshift tent every day. Then I cook and take care of my children, trying to find creative ways to keep their minds busy. In the evenings, sometimes I meet with other women who are in the same situation and we talk about how we can help each other and develop in the future. The only thing I do not have to worry about for now is access to clean, drinking water. [CARE partner Syria Relief] visits the camp every day to provide water.”

CARE and its local partner Syria Relief have reached an estimated 19,000 people in northwest Syria with clean drinking water since May 2019, but the needs are still great. In addition to clean water, CARE and partners have reached over 250,000 individuals in northwest Syria since May with food rations, a mobile health team, psychosocial support, personal hygiene items, cash assistance, shelter rehabilitation and makeshift shelter items, including plastic sheets, mattresses and blankets. As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, CARE and the organizations it partners with in Syria will be scaling up the humanitarian response further and will continue to monitor the situation and work to ensure that the aid response is timely and coordinated.

“I hope to return to my house and live in it again, I miss it so much, but our village is now under the control of the regime and we can never return.”

*Names have been changed