Action activities against hunger in Jordan (photo of An-Line Thoueille for ACF)
Leila is 56 years old and is a Syrian refugee, who fled to Lebanon after the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad government In December 2024. He crossed the border after seeing his brother killed before his eyes. Of his seven children, one died, two remained in Syria and four fled with her. “I am very afraid for my children, I don’t want them to be killed,” he says to the operators of Action against hunger. Look for work to feed the family and sleeps with them on a mattress on the ground. “I miss the flowers,” he confesses. And in these simple words Leila summarizes that nostalgia that does not abandon millions of Syrian refugees: finding the beauty of a life that is no longer there.
Since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, over a decade of violence and displacements has marked entire generationsthe. The fall of the Bashar Al-Assad government in December 2024 did not bring expected hope and the economy in crisis, the destroyed infrastructures, the lack of work and armed conflicts continue to push families to escape. Lebanon continues to host the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer in the world, with about 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The refugees come with nothing, in need of everything, welcomed in often overcrowded shelters, without drinking water, which become outbreaks of epidemic diseases such as cholera.
In Lebanon, the humanitarian organization against hunger continues to respond to the needs of the Syrian refugee population with activities of nutrition, hygiene and assistance to mothers, but the needs remain enormous. In many shelters, families share a single room, without privacy, sufficient mattresses and with limited access to basic services.
On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, established by the United Nations, which occurs today 20 JuneAction against hunger has collected the testimonies of refugees and humanitarian operators in different countries. Like Leila from Lebanon. As Husam Alyousef, Action operator against hunger in the refugee camp of Azraq, Jordan, which tells: «Since 2014 our field hosts about 41,500 Syrian refugees, created to relieve pressure on Zatari. My role consists of management of activities such as the installation and improvement of private latrines, essential to guarantee safety and privacy, especially women and girls, which often avoid public latrines for fear. In 2023 we redeveloped over 700 latrines, making them safer and more hygienic with solid walls, concrete doors and floors, connected to the sewage network, also improving the conditions for the elderly and people with disabilities. Access to water resources allows us to receive 2,200 cubic meters per day, distributed through public accessible taps. Some people, however, connect their means with unauthorized pipes, causing waste and health risks. We therefore work a lot on awareness to maintain safe connections to the advantage of the entire community ».
Jordan is the third country in the Middle East by number of refugees hosted. 83 km from Amman stands the field of Azraq, which today hosts about 41,000 people of whom 61% are represented by children. In the Azraq field since 2015, action against hunger manages water and hygienic-sanitary infrastructures: water supply, common latrines and gray waters systems. Only in 2023, the programs supported about 6,000 refugees. However, also due to the drop in humanitarian funds, the essential services of the field are now at risk.
World Refugee Day reminds us that, due to wars, violence, discrimination and persecutions, insecurity, poverty, climate change, millions of people around the world are still forced to abandon their homes and countries and seek refuge, security, better living conditions in other places. One of the most serious current humanitarian catastrophes is that of Sudan: since the war broke out in April 2023 8 million Sudanesi have fled the fighting and more than 620,000 of them have found refuge in Chad, in particular Adré, in the province of Ouaddaï, one of the most vulnerable in the country. The arrival of refugees here aggravated the needs of the local population and created tensions in the city, Since some families have been accepted on lands that the inhabitants of Adré can no longer cultivate. UN agencies and local authorities are looking for many refugees in fields outside the city, further away from the border with Sudan. Action against hunger is active in the refugee camp of Metée where many mothers, many of which are victims of sexual aggressions and violence during the Fuuga from their country, participate in a workshop on mental health, nutrition and psychosocial support.
Action against hunger has been active for 46 years at the forefront of 56 countries around the world To save the life of malnourished children and strengthen the resilience of families with food, water, health and training, working in collaboration with local communities and mobilizing people and governments to create a sustainable change. Every year it helps 21 million people. For information: www.azioneControlafame.it
(Top photo of Elisa Bernal Arellano for action against hunger: Leila, Syrian refugee in Lebanon)
