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IR Video: Life for Syrian refugees

Zohour who is currently staying in a Lebanese refugee camp with her family

Around 1.5 million Syrians have been displaced since the uprisings in March last year, fleeing to other areas and neighbouring countries, while nearly 300,000 are registered by the UN. For the thousands who are fleeing, the life which awaits them is difficult and arduous. Many of them struggle to find proper shelter and are living under hazardous conditions.

A few weeks ago, Islamic Relief spoke to Um Umar, who has sought refuge from the conflict on the Syrian side of the Turkish border. She came with her family to a large, open shed covering a public street, which she shares with around 150 other families. “We have come here from the bombing. The planes were right above our head and we saw four homes collapsed in front of us. People were wounded. We escaped death and came to another death. We are tired of moving and of injuries and we just want to live a stable, settled life.” Islamic Relief has helped to provide Um Umar and her family with daily meals, in cooperation with other development agencies.

17 year-old Zohour fled Syria with her parents and four siblings. When IR arrived at the refugee camp in Lebanon, Zohour had just returned from work. "I have to work and support my family, am working now in harvesting potatoes with the farmers. No one is working in the family, and what I am earning is not enough to support my five siblings and my parents. Everything here is very expensive, we need rice, bread, soap, but what I am making is not enough to provide all of these things” she told Islamic Relief aid workers. "We kept moving from place to place, from home to home, from shelter to shelter seeking safety, but then we found out there is no safe place in all of Syria, so we came here. Right now, I am supposed to be at school. I miss my school, I miss my friends. You know the thing I want the most right now is to go home. God-willing when the war will stop and we can go back home."

Islamic Relief continues to work inside Syria, and neighbouring countries, providing food and life-saving medical supplies to injured and vulnerable Syrians. The video below depicts Dr Alsousi, Head of Syria operations, describing the precarious conditions for Syrian refugees in a village close to the Turkish border.  The refugees are sleeping under olive trees - exposed to the elements and even scorpions. They will be in greater need of assistance as winter arrives soon.