Faces of Syria

Adnan, 4 years old, fled with his mother from East Ghouta to Herjalleh. As of 29 March, nearly 100,000 people have left Eastern Ghouta, tens of thousands of them currently residing in eight collective shelters in Rural Damascus. UNHCR is supporting with non-food items through its partners.

"We are making the best out of what we have. I do not have relatives in Damascus and I have no money to pay rent, we will wait here till we can go home." Displaced Syrian grandmother, Um Khaled (centre), from Saqba, Eastern Ghouta is staying at the Adra electricity complex shelter in rural Damascus with her family. With 133,000 displaced from Eastern Ghouta in March and April 2018, those in temporary shelters face overcrowding and inadequate sanitation facilities.

"We have to wait in lines for the bathroom and fight over showers. Insects are starting to take over our tents. This is not humane." Abu Mohammad from Eastern Ghouta describes the conditions at the Adra electricity complex shelter in rural Damascus to a UNHCR staff member.

A young girl carries her brother through the Herjalleh shelter in rural Damascus where they are staying after fleeing fighting in Eastern Ghouta.

Tens of thousands of people fled for their lives from Afrin to surrounding areas, to the town of Nubul, 26 km northwest of Aleppo, Syria. Many families are taking shelter in 3 hangars where UNHCR’s shelter kits are applied as separators creating temporary rooms to enhance privacy and protection. Due to the fighting in Afrin and its surrounding areas, tens of thousands of people fled their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs, after long hours of walking in the darkness and wilderness, most of Afrin internally displaced people head towards Tal Refaat, Nubul and Zahraa towns seeking safety and shelter.