Home is where water is

Ever since the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011, the world has been covering the stories, videos, interviews highlighting the struggles of affected people. As the conflict approaches its 13-year mark, we believe we’ve heard every possible story, stumbled on every loss and provided a podium for those who suffered.

But the truth is, no matter what coverage the Syrian conflict receives, it will never give them justice for the torment they faced, the heartbreak they endured and the amount of tears they shed these past couple of years.

For that reason, this isn’t just another story of a person affected by the Syrian conflict. It’s a person who lost their entire life to war, prejudice and displacement and now an earthquake.

No one could’ve imagined a devastating earthquake to hit Syria. The country was barely surviving while the war ravaging at its people. But the Syrian population - yet again - showed another leading example of resilience. 

Aysar, is a loving grandfather who couldn’t wait to welcome his grandchildren into the world. Little did he know, they’ll be raised in the mercy of unforgivable Syrian displacement camps.

The 50-year-old man had a thriving life. “I owned a home in the Northwest, I worked  as a manager at a ceramic company bringing a comfortable steady income. We didn’t need anything,” he recalls. Their home echoed with laughter and joy as the large family saw a bright future.

Once the war broke, it stole any feeling of safety from 12 million Syrians and they became displaced. They knew if they didn’t leave, they would be killed. It broke his heart, “we had to leave everything behind, everything,” and just like that years of hard work vanished into thin air.

In 2019, the situation was frightening, the grandfather wrapped family in his arms and made a run for safety. They ended up in a deserted land where him and his family set up a tent and stayed for five months. This was the best he could do, it was war, it’s every man for himself and he had a family to save. Just when he thought he could take a breath of relief, they had to leave because the owner of the land wanted to aggregate it. So, they made a run for safety again.

But wHERE?

Luckily, when he felt like the world was caving in, his village decided to collectively move and create a displacement camp. That’s when Ayser realised that he wasn’t alone in this crisis. They gathered money  and rented piece of land. 

At least the family has a place to stay for the next year. He did it! He got his family to safety. Things began to calm down and two of his children who found refuge abroad supported him financially. It's not much but it’s better than nothing. But this left Aysar heartbroken “after I was earning my living as a manager, my children now have to provide for me,” he shares.

However, this makeshift camp came with its problems, it lacked any necessities including water services forcing families to purchase water they couldn’t afford. “We faced endless challenges but securing water is the biggest hurdle. We cannot live without water so six families split the price of a water tank every two days and shared with the rest”. This was the only way this camp could afford water. He adds, “we used to buy 1,000 Liters for 30 Turkish Lira, ideally one family needs a tank per day”. But the society made it work, they had no choice.

Things were challenging until World Vision Syria Response and its local implementing partner ULUSLARARASI INSANI YARDIMLAŞMA DERNEĞI saw the importance of supporting this community. For that reason, they immediately stepped in with the water provision project. It includes providing clean and purified water, rehabilitation and maintenance of water stations, desludging and solid waste management services in displacement camps as well as the installation of solar cells which helps sustain these camps.

Through Disaster Emergency Committee’s financial support, World Vision Syria Response and its partner reached more than 330,000 people. “We pray the support continues, people trusted the organisations and the technicians, we hope it doesn’t stop”.

These services are a lifeline for families like Aysar’s, it's not a luxury. Withholding them will put their lives in jeopardy.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.