Maysara
“Safety and warmth may be taken for granted by some, but to me, they are priceless blessings.”
“Safety and warmth may be taken for granted by some, but to me, they are priceless blessings.”
When I was 13, my family and I were forced flee Syria due to the conflict. We came from a small village near Idlib.
When our village faced imminent attack, we sought refuge at my sister’s house in Idlib. We left everything behind, only carrying our IDs. We went to Lebanon after that, where my two brothers had already sought refuge.
The journey was incredibly challenging and scary, filled with uncertainty. There were checkpoints in almost every direction. We could hear the airstrikes around us and see the destruction. On top of that, it was freezing and the snow had covered the roads.
On the way, my father’s voice trembled as he told us that Syria was no longer our home. At that point, we didn’t even know if we still had a home to go back to or if the army had bombed it.
We were thankful that we made it out of Syria alive. We ended up staying in Lebanon for six years. At the age of 13, I had to leave school to support my family, putting my life, hopes and dreams on hold for our survival.
Hope emerged when we arrived in the UK, supported by UNHCR. Here, I dared to dream again.
I taught myself English and secured a scholarship to pursue my education at university.
Despite enduring significant hardships in my life, I’m grateful that these challenges haven’t disheartened me. I still view others with a compassionate eye and express this through small acts of kindness like volunteering and making donations.
Putting my life on hold from a young age also taught me not to shy away from opportunities or back down from life’s challenges. I confront them head-on, considering them as valuable lessons to learn from.
I believe the first step to understanding refugees and our journeys is to attentively listen and learn from our stories. These stories reveal the people behind the news headlines and statistics, shedding light on our diverse cultural heritage, history and traditions, nurturing respect and empathy.
This understanding challenges stereotypes, providing genuine insights into our lives. Hearing our experiences, particularly those during times of conflict and displacement, deepens empathy and strengthens the personal connection to our struggles.
These stories, including those from my home country, Syria, serve as a constant reminder of the toll of conflict, displacement and humanitarian crises. They can motivate action towards conflict prevention, peacebuilding and diplomatic solutions to prevent future occurrences.
To learn more about Maysara’s journey and his Syrian refugee stories, please visit this link
Winter in Syria is brutal
Wintertime takes me back to January 2013, just before leaving Syria. My family and I endured an exceptionally harsh winter, marked by a seven-day power outage that plunged us into darkness. Lacking heating, we gathered under blankets, our visible breath hanging in the icy air. Communication turned into silent glances.
Winter in Syria is brutal, I’d say, with bone-chilling cold and short days, constant heavy rains and icy winds. Homes were often ill-prepared for winter due to rising fuel costs and inadequate infrastructure. Despite wrapping ourselves in many blankets, they offered little defence against temperatures that could plummet to -6 degrees, if not lower.
Safety and warmth may be taken for granted by some, but to me, they are priceless blessings.
Winter in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
Hundreds of thousands of refugee families from Syria are facing a brutal winter far from home in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
Displaced families living in informal tented settlements or damaged buildings have little protection from freezing temperatures, rain and snow, putting them at risk of hypothermia, frostbite and life-threatening respiratory diseases. Others will struggle to keep warm in buildings without power and exposed to the elements due to shelling amidst sub-zero temperatures.
This winter, UK for UNHCR is calling for donations to help provide essential support, such as blankets, fuel and emergency cash assistance, to families who remain displaced after fleeing their homes in Syria.