Action Against Hunger has been working with Syrian non-governmental organisations to provide 26,300 hot meals to families affected by the deadly earthquakes in Syria and Turkey last February. This was done during iftar – the night-time meal that breaks the daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Having to flee their homes and still residing in shelters, access to food and the ability to store and cook it continues to be challenging for many. This joint project by Action Against Hunger and Syrian local partners provided 2,380 people with warm and nutritious food at a challenging time.
The distribution took place in 18 shelters and collective centres in the areas affected by the earthquake in northern Syria, allowing families to come together to break their fast and enjoy a communal meal, which is central to the Ramadan tradition.
“For over three months, my family and I didn’t eat meat – until Action Against Hunger started distributing this delicious food. You can’t imagine the impact of this. Yes, we have other needs, but this was the most urgent,” said Mouna, a 31-year-old mother of seven. Without a home since the earthquakes, they were already in a vulnerable situation as her husband suffers from arthritis, which prevents him from working, and her eldest son has a physical disability which makes it hard for him to eat.
The responsibility of supporting the family fell upon her second son, who works as a porter to earn 80,000 lira (about £8.25) weekly. For months now, they all live in a stall at a market where earthquake-affected families are residing and sharing small rooms, divided only with curtains.
For all these families, food is a top priority. Given the situation most of them did not count on being able to celebrate the breaking of the fast as they would have liked to. Action Against Hunger’s main goal was to ensure that people did not go without food that they relied on before the earthquake. Families had access to meat, dairy products, cereals, vegetables, and oil; all of which helped them to maintain a balanced diet.
Different meals were provided each day, such as Frikeh (a cereal food made with green durm wheat) with meat and rice.
Noura, a 42-year-old single mother living with her 12-year-old son, and 7-year-old twins, who have Down Syndrome, in a collective shelter in a school hopes that the provision of meals can continue – especially as prices have increased rapidly.
If her family food needs continue to be covered, Noura hopes to be able to send her son back to school. He left for a workshop where he only earns 35,000 lira (about £3.91) weekly. Before the earthquake, they already depended entirely on her relatives’ financial support.
Although three months have passed since the earthquakes, the need to provide varied support, such as food aid, to people affected continues. Action Against Hunger will continue collaborating with local organisations in Syria to provide an additional 16,000 hot meals in the upcoming weeks.
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger is the world’s leading charity stopping life-threatening hunger in its tracks. By training parents and healthcare workers to spot the signs, we get life-saving care to people who need it. Action Against Hunger’s research drives forward understanding of how to predict, prevent and treat life-threatening hunger. With unbeatable knowledge and unstoppable determination, the charity supported more than 26 million people across 51 countries in 2021.
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