Stories
December 5, 2025 • 4 min read
Fourteen years of conflict have claimed more than half a million lives and forced 13 million Syrians to flee. Entire cities have been reduced to dust, and the country’s public health and food resources, lifelines for millions have been left in ruins. With the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, Syria now faces a long and uncertain path toward recovery and rebuilding.
Through the support of the US Department of State, International Food Relief Partnership (IFRP) program, the GOAL Syria Nutrition team continues to provide preventive and life-saving nutrition services to vulnerable families across the country. Children like Faisal, aged 1.5 years, are benefiting from preventive nutrition support and are now able to access nutritious food and nutritional counselling thanks to the unwavering love and support of his mother, Amina, alongside the ongoing assistance, helping him maintain his health and vitality.
A Mother’s Resolve
Amina Mohammad Al-Mubarak, known as Um Hussein, is from the village of Sinjar in rural Idlib. She is married and has three children.
After a long displacement that began with the escalation of conflict in 2011, her family was forced to flee repeatedly from shelling, leaving all their belongings behind. They initially stayed in an abandoned house in western Zawiya before finally settling in Al-Sikka Camp in Harbanoush, where they first lived in a fragile tent and recently moved to a small room.
Amina recalls the worst year of their journey: “2019 was full of shelling and destruction. It was the worst year of all. We didn’t know where to go, and all we thought about was surviving.”
Her husband has limited work opportunities, and the family relies on humanitarian assistance, particularly from GOAL to secure food and care for their children. Since birth, her son Faisal, has suffered from severe malnutrition, a heart defect, and 30% muscle wasting. The young child also experienced dangerously high fevers reaching 41°C, forcing Amina to move him between hospitals and sell family belongings to cover medical costs. Despite doctors’ warnings, she never lost hope and devoted her life to saving him.
GOAL Life-Saving Support
The GOAL Syria Nutrition Team regularly visited the camp to follow up on children at risk of malnutrition, including Faisal. The teams conducted nutritional assessments, Measured Children’s Mid-upper arm Circumference (MUAC), explained the causes of malnutrition and preventive measures, and advised on proper nutrition for children and mothers.
Caption: Faisal,1.5 years old, now stronger and more energetic, enjoys playtime and nutritious meals thanks to ongoing preventive support from the GOAL Syria Nutrition team and the US Department of State.
Walada Al-Othman, a GOAL Syria Nutrition Community Worker, says: “We targeted Harbanoush camp as part of our program because it is one of the most vulnerable areas. We began with surveys across the camps to identify beneficiaries, then held group awareness sessions for mothers on malnutrition, prevention and treatment, and proper maternal and child nutrition, alongside educational materials.”
When Faisal reached six months, he began receiving fortified nutritional supplements distributed by GOAL’s teams. The family received four regular distributions. Amina followed the guidance to give him one sachet per day, and over time, she noticed significant improvements in his health. He became more active and focused, his appetite increased, he began gaining weight, and his first teeth appeared. By the time the team met Faisal for this story, he was 1.5 years old and continuing to thrive.
For Amina, witnessing Faisal’s daily improvement was the greatest victory after a long journey of fear and suffering.
Caption: Walada Al-Othman, a GOAL Syria Nutrition Community Worker, with Amina, supporting her child’s recovery and wellbeing through preventive nutrition guidance.
Walada Al-Othman, says: “We conducted regular home visits to monitor individual, measuring children’s MUAC from six months to five years, as well as for pregnant and lactating women. We noticed clear improvements among families who followed the guidance, and the mothers showed strong commitment to improving their children’s health.”
GOAL’s support extended beyond fortified nutrition; it also included Cash and Voucher Assistance which helped Amina and her family purchase fresh and essential foods to improve their children’s nutrition. Thanks to this support, her child’s health has improved noticeably, and she has been able to monitor his progress regularly with the nutrition team’s guidance.
Caption: Faisal enjoying a banana, now healthier and more active after receiving regular preventive nutritional support from GOAL, showing improved appetite, growth, and energy.
Despite these challenges, Amina tried to continue her education after high school and enrolled in the Teacher Training Institute at Idlib University. However, she could not complete her studies due to the difficult living conditions and her child’s illness. Motivated by her love for education, she has volunteered to teach children in the camp.
“I still dream of completing my studies at the Teacher Training Institute and becoming a teacher to educate children, who are the most beautiful part of life. I hope to be part of building a new Syria… a Syria of hope and life.” – Amina
