Against All Odds

“We are forced to ration our supplies and whatever little income we have, surviving day by day and living hand to mouth. Against all odds, we must survive,” says Houra.

The Bekaa Valley is home to a large population of Syrian refugees who have fled their homes in search of safety to escape the ongoing conflict in their home country. With the crisis approaching its thirteenth year, refugees in Lebanon continue to face an extremely harsh reality. The population is struggling with access to the most basic of necessities. They are unable to afford food, rent, electricity, and medication. Amidst a compounding crisis, Lebanon’s current crippling state has become a significant contributing factor to the ongoing challenges faced by the refugee population.

Meet Houra, 52 years old, a Syrian community member living in the Bekaa Valley. Houra is a strong and brave mother. I met her while on a visit with our survey team; the team was visiting refugee households with the purpose of conducting a survey for the data collection of the Vulnerability Assessment for Syrian Refugees, otherwise known as the VASyR.  

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More than 70 percent of Syrian refugees are living in poverty, with limited access to basic services, education or job opportunities and few prospects of returning home.  When I first met Houra, what struck me most was her determination and her instinct to protect her children. During the survey with the team, Houra spoke to us about her current reality. Her heart aches for her home, but she knew fleeing the conflict in Syria was the right choice for the sake of her children’s safety. She quickly came to realize however that life in Lebanon was far from easy. The conditions were hard even before the crisis in the country. About a year into the crisis, Houra’s husband had surgery, and unfortunately is unable to work anymore. Houra’s family now relies on her eldest daughter, Wafa, to earn an income for their household of seven. Wafa earns little working in agriculture, and the job is unstable - he can sometimes go days without work. For a family of seven, their only option is to ration supplies, reduce the number of meals per day and pray for any support that may come their way.

Currently, like many of the other 1.5 million refugees in Lebanon affected by the ongoing crisis, Houra and her family are struggling, with limited access to necessities. Despite some support from the international community amid funding cuts, Houra still needs to find additional help, put food on the table, and meet essential needs. As the crisis deepens, the aid received is insufficient and the situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate.  

With her daughters by her side, Houra explains, “We are forced to ration our supplies and whatever little income we have, surviving day by day, living hand to mouth. Against all odds, we must survive. It’s a struggle to feed a family of seven, especially when the head of the household cannot earn an income. Additionally, price hikes are setting my family behind and increasing our debts. Whenever I visit the grocery store, when possible, I pay off part of the debt so that I can continue buying groceries for my family. We’ve reduced the number of meals we’re eating per day to reduce the cost of food. Even when I cook for my family, I am very mindful of rationing portions to ensure there is enough for everyone. As a mother, it breaks my heart that this is our current living conditions. My husband and I are not young anymore. I have a heart condition, and he is unable to work due to surgery he underwent about a year ago. We both need medications we cannot afford. It has become so challenging. Depending on our circumstances, we prioritize one medication over the other based on our needs. However, most of the time, the medications we need are so expensive that we’re unable to afford them. The day-to-day struggle is becoming increasingly difficult. My family and I have needs, but we are unable to meet them. Most days, it feels like the walls are closing in on us. The situation continues to worsen, and I am afraid of the struggles ahead of us. What if I get to the point where I can no longer feed my family? What happens then?  

In the past, we could rely on our communities, neighbors or acquaintances for support, as most people were willing to help. However, within the current context, the situation has completely changed. Most families like ours are struggling to stay afloat, and it feels like we are all slowly drowning.”  

While Houra was speaking, I could feel as if her heart was heavy with sorrow. Her family relies completely on her and her daughter Wafa. The plight of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon is a harsh reality.

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Medair services in The Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, are funded by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and generous private donors.

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organization.  

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