Crossing the river separating Syria and Lebanon was not merely a fleeting moment of displacement in Yasser’s life (a pseudonym), but a harsh experience that left its mark on body and soul.
With an amputated limb and a heart weighed down by loss, Yasser crossed the cold river in the north of the country with his wife and two children, fleeing identity-based killing that swept the Syrian coast, leaving behind a home that was burned, and a life he had hoped would continue in calm and safety.
Yasser recalls the details of that night, telling how his wife sank into the rushing river waters during the crossing, and how he raced against time and fear to save her, while at the same time managing to retrieve his prosthetic limb, which was severely damaged.
“We left in the clothes we were wearing… we had nothing with us” Yasser summed up everything he lost in a single sentence.
Upon the family’s arrival in Lebanese territory, they found themselves without shelter, but the intervention of the humanitarian organization Western Syria Development enabled Yasser’s family to move into a safe apartment and receive food assistance.
With the onset of the harsh winter season, and as part of the “Laftet Dafa – A Warm Gesture” initiative, Yasser and his family members received winter jackets for each individual, to ease the impact of the severe cold, especially on the children.
For Yasser’s young child, 11 years old, this warmth was different. He says with a shy smile:
“Western Syria Development warmed me, with a warmth that resembles my mother’s heart.”
This winter initiative was not merely a seasonal response, but a humanitarian message that eased the harshness of cold nights for children.
Yasser’s story is one of many stories that reflect the impact of humanitarian intervention when it touches real need, and shows how a simple initiative like “Laftet Dafa – A Warm Gesture Initiative” can make a real difference in the lives of displaced families, and restore to them a part of warmth amid a reality of extreme hardship.