Mahasen
Mahasen, a 37-year-old mother of four boys, initially moved to Jordan to seek safety, supporting her family whilst her husband was away working in the Gulf:
"I went with my children; my husband was working in Dubai. So, I left my village and went to Jordan because of the bombings. When we went to Jordan, we stayed in tents [camps] at Zaatari Camp. It was very difficult, and my children got sick because it is like the desert [weather], during the day it is hot and at night it is cold. I stayed there just for 14 days and after that I moved to the city. I just wanted to get out of that camp.
When my husband worked in Dubai, he sent me money and it was good. But after one year, he died in a car accident in Dubai. And after that, we stayed for two years in Jordan and they were very difficult years. He had friends in Dubai, and so they sent me about 1000 Dirhams for rent. And we received aid and charity, and the UN gave us food coupons."
Many Syrian refugee women have lost their husbands as a result of the conflict, or in related circumstances such as those described by Mahasen. This article takes a deeper look at this issue, telling the stories of Syrian widows attempting to rebuild their lives in Jordan.
Oxfam clothing voucher for Syrian refugees in Lebanon by Oxfam International is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
