Yana [1], 26 years old, tends to her month old baby as her two year old daughter sits on the floor playing with a bib – there are no toys to entertain her.
The young mother is on her own with her children, living and sleeping in the same small room. Her only possessions are in the corner of the room - a small bag of clothes, the only things she could carry when she fled Syria five months ago.
“I came to Jordan, with my husband, 5 months ago. He went back 12 days ago to bring his mother over to live with us but for the last three days I haven’t heard anything from him. I know the area he was in has had some big incidents in the last few days so I am very worried. My husband might not be able to return.”
Yana doesn’t just have to deal with the stress of not knowing if her husband is dead or alive but has to struggle everyday just to find enough food for her children.
“I don’t have enough money but people are helping me, my neighbours help me with food and water. The daily expenses are my biggest concern. I can’t afford milk or diapers. Some days I haven’t been able to afford milk for the baby. I don’t have any gas left to cook and I am too embarrassed to keep asking people for help. I make do with bread and eat it even when it is totally dry.”
Yana’s baby was born a refugee and she says the arrival of her daughter made her ‘happy and sad at the same time’. “Three days before my baby was born I was visited by someone from CARE. They gave me some money to help me cover the hospital expenses, it was very helpful. I didn’t even have any clothes for the baby at that time.”
With her husband missing and no money Yana says: “I have no guarantees in life anymore. I just need the basics to survive but I have no money left.”
[1] The name has been changed
ABOUT CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty.