Mahmoud (53), a Syrian refugee, relies on UNHCR’s monthly cash assistance to secure his family's basic needs. ©UNHCR/Lilly Carlisle
‘A happy life full of love and laughter’ is what 53-year-old Mahmoud remembers about growing up in Homs, Syria. While he was a taxi driver, he was raising seven healthy children along with his wife.
In 2013, however, the conflict engulfed the area where they lived, forcing them to flee to Jordan to find safety for their family.
Living in Jordan for the first two years was challenging for Mahmoud and his family as they re-established themselves in a new country and enrolled their children in local schools. But since then, circumstances worsened, and their conditions further deteriorated.
Mahmoud’s wife was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and sadly passed away at the end of 2020. Mahmoud, who also suffers from Crohn’s disease, subsequently mentions feeling immense pressure to provide for his family. After his wife was diagnosed with cancer, one of his sons, Mohammad, who is now 23, quit school in tenth grade to support his family, working at a local bakery.
“I have to make choices every day, like what to prioritize, whether we will be able to buy meat that week; This month we haven’t eaten chicken,” said Mahmoud.
Even though four of his eldest children had married and moved out of the family home, he was conscious of the need to keep his two youngest children, Najeeb, 10, and Siba, 13, in school.
Thanks to a generous contribution from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), UNHCR provided cash assistance to Mahmoud worth 125 Jordanian dinars (about USD 176) to help support his family’s living costs. UNHCR’s monthly support has been vital to both Mahmoud and his children.
“Cash assistance covers most of the rent,” he noted. But most importantly, the assistance allows him to make sure that his children have access to quality education for a brighter future. “Cash has provided us with stability. It means my children are still in school and they can have a relatively normal childhood.”
QFFD’s vital funding enabled UNHCR to provide multi-purpose cash assistance to more than 2,600 Syrian refugee families in Jordan during April and May, helping over 10,600 vulnerable refugees, like Mahmoud, to make ends meet. Without this assistance, families would fall deeper into poverty and would further struggle to meet their most urgent needs.
Mahmoud longs to return home to Syria. Despite the conflict, he says that “it is still one of the most beautiful countries.” The reality is that Mahmoud worries about what the future holds. He has already undergone five surgeries in the last couple of years because of Crohn’s disease and fears that he will need to have more, a risky prospect for his health and family.
Yet, Mahmoud remains hopeful. He feels privileged to be among the families who receive cash assistance from UNHCR, which allows him to continue providing for his children, putting a roof over their heads and ensuring they get the education they deserve.
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