ADRA donors like you have contributed to relief for multiple families in Syria in the aftermath of the earthquake. Jahidah Mohammed Eid al-Ali is a 50-year-old Syria women who is surviving in Syria alongside her husband (55) and several children and grandchildren. ADRA donors helped bring food baskets to families like Jahidah’s, who are currently living in collective shelter in Sports City Centre in Latakia. Jahida says that ADRA’s provision of food has helped her family “immensely,” and they are extremely grateful for your part in this assistance.

This gratitude is significant if you consider all that this family has lived through. Prior to the earthquake, they had lost a son to cancer when he was only 19. Originally hailing from the region of Idleb, the family lost their land, home, belongings, and livelihood because of the war. After moving to Latakia, they found a new home to rent, supported by the husband’s day labour job. Though they had faced hardships, Jahidah described their situation as “pretty good.”

Her tone turns more dire when she describes their experiences during the earthquake. Marked by nearly inexpressible terror, the family had to face the loss of their home yet again – this one becoming uninhabitable almost instantly, as their shoreline apartment threatened to be swallowed up by the sea. Her grandchildren fell ill due to the cold February weather, and they were forced to take shelter under a bridge for three days before finding the Sports City shelter. In Jahida’s words, those moments “felt like the end of the world.”

With their situation slightly more stable, Jahida is once again able to live in the light of gratitude, thanks in part to your generosity. Challenges still remain, though. Jahida’s son still requires medical attention to address his injuries and disability from the war, and Jahida herself is diabetic. Together, the family cling to the blessings you have brought them while waiting in hope for the medical support they need.