New arrivals

139, 120, 157 and 132 people who…

These numbers showed up in UNHCR’s biweekly report on the Za’atari refugee camp, respectively, in sequence, in the past two months.

Well then, who were behind the numbers?

The answer is newborn babies. Each number represents the number of babies born in 2 weeks , so about babies a day.

In the Za’atari refugee camp, children aged four and under account for about 20% of roughly 80,000 residents. Every day, babies are born in this camp, and they grow up here.

We recently talked to two families about raising their children in a refugee camp.

Mother of Taim, aged six months, said:

“I came to the camp when my eldest child Dana was two months old. I gave birth to Taim at a maternity clinic in the camp.

I felt relieved at that time, because I had given birth to Dana in the basement of a hospital which was under attack in the middle of a war. We are safe here.

There are schools and medical services. I have no particular concern about my children growing up in the camp. In the future, when peace comes, I want to show my children my hometown, a suburb of Damascus in Syria which neither of them have seen.

Father of Ala’a, aged 3, said:

“I have 10 children aged three to 20. My youngest, Ala’a, was born in the camp. He’s stepped out of the camp three times or so.

I took him to my relative’s farm in the neighborhood. Ala’a loves animals. In the farm, he looked at the cattle and sheep until it got dark. To go outside the camp, we need permission.

We also need to pay for our travel so I can’t afford to take my children out of the camp very often. Life here is like a life of captivity, and raising children is difficult.

My three eldest sons quit school. Because I am worried about their future, I want to give them opportunities to take part in vocational training programs.”

Children who are born and grow up in refugee camps will each have a different life experience but hopefully one where they each have the chance to reach their full potential and visit their family’s home country to learn about its culture and history.

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