Kat Graham meets Abu Tamarak

American actress Kat Graham meets Abu Tamarak’s family in a refugee camp in Jordan.

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“The baklava shop where I used to work in Syria was attacked by the regime. They destroyed everything in the shop and sat on their tanks waving the baklava. There was bombing around our house so we left at 6.30am, speeding almost out of control to avoid the explosions.”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“My sister has been married and trying to have a baby for 11 years. They sold everything to pay for IVF and she was pregnant with twins. With all the bombings and the shock and stress of war she lost the babies. But she still manages to smile and laugh despite the sadness.”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“In the camp we run 2 confectionaries and a kiosk. We provide baklava for weddings, events and individuals. I used to want to be a musician. But if the war was over and we could go back to Syria, now I would continue to do this job.”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“We have managed to settle down a bit and have moved our caravans so that they are more like a compound which is how we lived in Syria, we are trying to recreate that. On January 1st 2014 my second daughter was born here in Zaatari, we named her Shehad.”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“My love for Syria has increased since leaving it. When it gets dark here in camp I always remember the days back in Syria, when the light used to fade and I would walk around saying hello to everyone. Everyone knows you. It’s really hard to not have that any more. I miss it very much. The sand of Syria – the ground – is very dear to us.”