Syria’s widows: Hungry and homeless, but undefeated

WNN World News Portal – Tara Sutton in Mafraq, Jordan - The Guardian News – Friday June 29, 2012

These Homs widows must take care that they cannot be easily identified. Their names have been changed for this story. Image: Tara Sutton/The Guardian News

Mafraq, JORDAN: With criminals and rebels helping them on their way, Syria’s army of refugees marches by night, in single file and silence, towards the Jordanian border. More than 140,000 desperate people, many of them women and children, have sought sanctuary from their neighbour since the uprising in their homeland began 13 months ago and most now face an uncertain future.

Unlike Turkey, Jordan does not have a refugee camp and new arrivals are left to fend for themselves. They escape mostly “through the fence”, too frightened to leave Syria by its official borders. For some this is because their documents were burned when the army torched their homes; for others it is because they are being hunted by the government because someone in their family is, or was, a fighter.

In Jordan most of the aid they receive comes from Islamic and Christian charities with limited resources. They get boxes of food from one group; another donates mattresses and kitchen sets. But it is not enough, and many wonder where the international NGOs are. . .

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