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The widows of Syria

06 March 2015

Women are paying a heavy price in the conflict in Syria. Many have lost husbands, fathers and sons, while others have left homes, jobs and support networks behind. One in three households in Syria is now headed by a woman.

Taking on the financial and emotional responsibility for the family can be immensely stressful. Single mothers in Syria face social stigmas and have difficulty finding reliable work. For the lucky few who succeed, child care and schooling remain a struggle.

Despite these enormous challenges, women in UNRWA collective shelters in Damascus are determined to continue with their lives and provide for their children. 

To support female-headed households and other vulnerable Palestine refugees in Syria, the European Union provided EUR 10 million for UNRWA in 2015 to provide cash assistance. Cash grants helps women meet the minimum needs of their households.

UNRWA temporary collective shelters house 12,697 of the most vulnerable Palestine refugees and Syrians in the country, including female-headed households. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadTaking on the sole financial and emotional responsibility for a family is a heavy burden. It can be difficult for single women to find reliable paid work in Syria’s collapsing economy. Overall unemployment across Syria reached 54 per cent in 2014. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadAysha was left to care for her seven children when her husband died of a heart attack in May 2013. Three months later she fled her home in Hajar al-Aswad to escape the worst of the conflict. Aysha, aged 43, is the main caregiver for her children, who suffer from thalassaemia and eye problems. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadIsraa’s story is one of the many tales of suffering to come from the besieged area of Yarmouk. Israa’s husband is missing and his disappearance has left the family without assets or income. Israa is now the sole provider for her family, including her husband’s sick father. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadReem, 33, was widowed in 2012 when her husband died of a heart attack in Yarmouk. She is now the sole breadwinner for her five children. Their poverty has far-reaching effects. As a result of their restricted diet, one of Rim’s daughters is underweight and suffers from anemia. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad Hanaa’s two-year-old son has never known his father, a mazout seller in Husseinieh who went missing before his son was born. Hanaa fled Husseinieh in 2013 and now works as a house cleaner to support them both. She fears for the future of her family. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadNihad’s husband went missing at the al-Bahdailyeh checkpoint in Damascus in July 2013. Nihad’s sons work as casual labourers and are struggling to earn a living to support their mother and sister, who is a student at the Faculty of Nursing. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadThirty-nine-year-old Hanan and her family have experienced unimaginable loss. Hanan’s husband died in 2012 when he was attacked and robbed in his car on the Mua'dhamiyeh road. Her eldest son was killed near their home in Babila, Damascus, before Hanan fled with her four remaining children. The family suffer immense financial hardship. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadMaking ends meet is an ongoing struggle for mother-of-three Huda. Following the death of her husband seven months ago, Huda fled Husseinieh in search of safety, leaving her home and most of her belongings behind. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadWomen must overcome loss and grief while meeting the immediate needs of their families. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad

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