Stories

Syrians are not Home Yet

“Back in Syria we had more than we could ask for, cars, houses, and businesses, we didn’t need anyone, and we never thought we would…”

Mazen is a Syrian refugee now living in east Amman, Jordan. He lives with his wife and son, crowded in one room on the roof of a shabby building, struggling to make ends meet.

Mazen was badly injured in Homs, he suffered from burns all over his face and hands, and even after multiple surgeries he still can’t easily use his hands. “Every new day comes with its challenges; trying hard to find work contrary to the doctor’s advice, feeding my family and keeping them safe and warm, and even fixing the downpours from the roof every time it rains”

Since July 2016, over 150,000 work permits were issued to Syrian refugees living in Jordan. Let’s help them work legally and earn an income for their families again…

Mahassin came to Jordan last year so that she could undergo back surgery. She is a senior Syrian woman now living alone in her new home in Amman, with no one to take care of her and no one to talk to. “I feel very happy when Aisha – Medair officer – comes to visit me, she is the only one who asks about me and knows how I’m coping. Before the Syrian crisis we were a big happy family, neighbors, friends and family, I would never feel alone. I used to wake up, have breakfast with my kids, drink coffee on the porch with my neighbor, and spend the rest of the day with people who love and care for me…but not anymore.”

Aisha has been visiting Mahassin for the last several months, “Mahassin has no one in Jordan, her sons are in Lebanon and she is too old to work or provide for herself” says Aisha.

Financial issues were the greatest barrier for Syrian refugees in Jordan to access health care. Let’s help them get the Health support they need again…

Rawa is a mother and a refugee living in Amman, Jordan. Her husband is in and out of a different job every week, that is why she was determined to help him support the family by studying for a diploma at one of the Jordanian universities; but she still cannot find a job. “We had a beautiful home in Damascus, my husband owned a taxi and my children were happy! We had a simple life yet dignified and full of hope…” Now the family is struggling to put food on the table, keep their children in schools, and try to build a future for them without any idea what lie in wait beyond the horizon.

About 40% of Syrian refugee children in Jordan are out of formal education. Let’s help them get back to school again…

Marwan is a Syrian refugee living with his family in Jordan. “My kids ask me about Syria all the time: what does it look like? Why did we leave? When will we go back there? What are the things that I loved most about it? Sometimes I would sit with my youngest daughter for hours telling her about our lovely home, and how happy we were there. I would show them old photos and point to the T.V whenever there is anything about Syria or its landmarks. I only hope that my kids will have a childhood as happy as mine was, it breaks my heart to know that I cannot give them what I had, and this is one of the most painful things for a father to withstand.”

Jordan is hosting the second highest share of refugees per capita in the world, with more than 660,000 Syrian refugees living in camps and urban areas. Let’s help them feel at home again…

Medair services in Jordan are funded by the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, German Federal Foreign Office, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Sandoz foundation, Lancaster foundation and other generous private donors.

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organization.

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