Winter In Syria: A Mother's Worst Nightmare
Iman fled the war in Syria with her four children, but just when she thought they were safe – they faced a threat they couldn't escape: winter.
The brutal war in Syria has devastated Iman's life. Exposed to years of horrific violence and conflict, she lost her husband and her home.
Iman fled Aleppo with nothing but her four children. But just when she thought her children were safe, they faced a threat she couldn't shield them from - winter.
As temperatures plummeted, the family's flimsy shelter was ravaged by snow storms and below freezing temperatures. Wet, cold and without warm clothing, her children faced a harsh Syrian winter unprotected.
Iman and her children
Iman's baby was the first to die.
He froze to death while she desperately tried to warm his milk. Then just weeks later, her young daughter passed away. Already weak from hunger, she was unable to fight sickness caused by living in the cold, damp shelter.
Syrian refugee settlements
Informal refugee settlements, where wave after wave of winter storms
This nightmare is a reality for too many Syrian families. And right now, another freezing winter looms.
Almost 8 years of war has displaced families across Syria and surrounding countries. Many children and families live in tents or flimsy shelters made of wood, metal and plastic, which provide little relief from the cold, ice and snow. They risk the facing the same fate as Iman's family.
With temperatures predicted to drop to freezing and below in some areas, UNICEF estimates that 1.3 million Syrian children will be in danger.
They urgently need thermal blankets and winter clothing to protect them from the cold.
Iman and her two remaining sons reached a camp for displaced people within Syria. And with UNICEF support, they received the warm clothing, thermal blankets and medicine needed to keep them safe and warm through winter.
Happy looks on Iman and her two children' faces
"I live for my children," says Iman. "I pray for a better life for them.
Iman's two boys play cheerfully around her as she speaks. But we cannot forget the vulnerable children who need our urgent help today.
UNICEF is working around the clock to source and deliver winter clothing before the worst weather hits. But as each day passes, the urgency to get supplies to the most vulnerable and hard to reach children increases.
‍Your support can help ensure that the tragic circumstances which claimed the lives of Iman's son and daughter don't repeat with another family.
Just $61 can give a child an entire set of warm winter clothing to protect them from the cold.
Please donate now and help save a child's life.
Would you go this far to help children?
Hunger Relief - Malnutrition