Jordan: A mother and daughter make contact after two years apart
| Publisher | International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) |
| Publication Date | 16 November 2016 |
| Cite as | International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jordan: A mother and daughter make contact after two years apart, 16 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583852de4.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
With these words, Sa'adeya comforted her daughter Iqra'a when she spoke to her by telephone for the first time since losing contact with her two years ago.
Twenty-year-old Iqra'a Mohammed Ali became separated from her mother and three siblings in 2008 when she came to Jordan from Somalia, along with another brother and sister, and her grandmother. The last contact between Iqra'a and her mother was in early 2015, when Sa'adeya called the family to inform them that she is in Yemen.
"After that we lost track of her. We didn't know if she was dead or alive," explained Iqra'a. "Eventually, I submitted a request to the ICRC in Amman, asking them to help me search for her."
A week ago, the family received a call from a tracing officer at the ICRC delegation in Amman informing them that Sa'adeya was in Kharaz camp in Yemen, and that they had her telephone number.
"I couldn't believe it, said Iqra'a. "My legs were shaking. When I went with my grandmother to the ICRC office and the tracing officer dialled the number, and I heard my mother's tender voice, I was so relieved. I wanted time to stop and live in that moment forever. In hearing her voice, I found solace."
"What broke my heart, however, was hearing that she was ill and needed urgent surgery. But now that I have found her, I will not lose her again. Only God knows how much I miss her. Are we destined to meet again? I certainly pray that we will."
Iqra'a has a pending claim to be resettled in a third country, but can return to the ICRC Amman office anytime to phone her mother in Yemen. At present, Sa'adeya is waiting to have surgery to remove her gall bladder.
