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Silné a odvážné: Klíčová role žen v první pomoci a obnově v konfliktních zónách – nový report CARE

Od 29 května, 202430 května, 2024Žádné komentáře

79 % žen usiluje o zlepšení bezpečnosti místních obyvatel ve válečných konfliktech

71 % pomáhá ve zdravotních službách  

a 46 % se snaží o zajištění příjmů a stabilitu svých rodin a komunit.

Praha, 29. května 2024

V okruhu 50 kilometrů od konfliktních zón, které se aktuálně po celém světě odehrávají, žije 600 milionů žen. Je to dvojnásobek oproti 90. letům 20. století.  Naše chápání toho, jak ženy prožívají válku a jak reagují v těchto velmi složitých krizích je ale často zamlženo narativy, které je úplně přehlíží nebo staví do role obětí. 

 

Nový report Women in War: Leaders, Responders, and Potential (Ženy ve válce: vůdkyně, aktérky a jejich potenciál), který dnes vydala organizace CARE, tyto převládající názory vyvrací. Zaměřuje se na to, jak ženy konflikty snášejí. Nabízí také doporučení, jak lépe řešit jejich konkrétní potřeby a problémy v době eskalace ozbrojených konfliktů. Mezi hlavními zjištěními z 15 zemí, kde aktuálně probíhají konflikty, zpráva uvádí, že ženy v drtivé většině (91 % z více než 13 000 žen, které CARE oslovila na Ukrajině, v Gaze,  Jemenu, Sýrii a Kolumbii) zastávají aktivní a vedoucí úlohu při podpoře a posílení svých komunit a jejich největší prioritou je pomoc se zajištěním obživy.  

Jsou to hlavně ženy, které poskytují jídlo a přístřeší těm, kteří přišli o svůj domov nebo utíkají z válečných oblastí. Zároveň ale musí uživit i ty své rodiny. Také ví, že změny jejich okolí jsou důležité a vytvářejí pro ně prostředí. 79 % žen hledá možnosti, jak zlepšit bezpečnost místních obyvatel, 71 % pomáhá ve zdravotních službách a 46 % se snaží o diversifikaci příjmů, aby nikdy nezůstaly bez prostředků a mohly se postarat o své rodiny.   

“Tento report nám ukazuje, jak důležité jsou ženy jako aktérky první pomoci a jako iniciátorky obnovy v regionech zmítaných konflikty a jinými krizemi,”  

uvedla Katarína Klamková, ředitelka CARE Česká republika.  

 “Pokud budeme naslouchat ženám zažívající válečné konflikty a uznáme jejich zásadní roli v těchto situacích, nepřijdeme o jejich velmi důležité vůdčí nasazení.”

Za posledních více než 10 let CARE prostřednictvím svých rychlých analýz postavení žen a mužů ve válečných konfliktech (které začala provádět v roce 2013) a zpráv Women Respond (které začala zpracovávat v roce 2020) shromáždila rozsáhlou a rozmanitou škálu výpovědí a pohledů žen z celého světa, aby prozkoumala, jak prožívají a vedou krizové situace. Zpráva Women in War (Ženy ve válce) vychází z velké části z tohoto výzkumu spolu s veřejně dostupnými soubory dat. 

Jaké jsou kritické problémy žen v konfliktních zónách?

  • Nenaplněné základní potřeby: Není překvapení, že zajištění zdrojů obživy je nejvyšší výzvou žen, se kterými jsme v konfliktních oblastech, jako je Ukrajina, Gaza, Sýrie a Jemen mluvili. 
  • Rostoucí hrozba sexuálního násilí: V roce 2021 žilo více než 257 milionů žen v zemích, které zaznamenaly významné nebo hromadné případy sexuálního násilí v konfliktech sužovaných zemích. 
  • Narušené zdravotnické služby: Zdravotní péče pro ženy a děti je konflikty vážně ohrožena. Každé čtvrté dítě narozené v roce 2022 přišlo na svět v okruhu 50 km od místa konfliktu. Každá druhá žena, která zemře během těhotenství nebo porodu, se nachází v oblasti konfliktu. Mateřská úmrtnost je v těchto nestabilních podmínkách více než 40krát vyšší než v rozvojových zemích. 
  • Vyloučení žen z vedoucích struktur: Formální vedoucí struktury často vylučují ženy, což ohrožuje mír a prosperitu pro všechny. 
  • Nedostatečné povědomí o roli žen ve válečných konfliktech:
    Pouze 5 % článků o válečných konfliktech a krizích, které způsobují se zaměřují na zkušenosti žen, a to podceňuje jejich úlohu.

“Ženy, se kterými jsme se setkali, stojí v první řadě tváří v tvář překážkám, výzvám a strašlivým zážitkům. Ženy se potýkají se sexuálním násilím, ztrátou příjmů a zdrojů příjmů a prudce klesající úrovní zdravotní péče, což vede k vyšší úmrtnosti, a to i z příčin, kterým lze předcházet. Tyto hrozby jsou skutečně závažné a my musíme udělat pro jejich řešení maximum,”  

zdůraznila Emily Janoch, zástupkyně viceprezidenta CARE a jedna z autorek zprávy. “Jednou z klíčových cest k řešení této krize je uznání a ocenění žen jako vůdčích osobností v době konfliktu a na cestě k míru,” dodává.  

Celý report naleznete zde: WomenInWar nový report CARE 

Otázky a odpovědi k reportu naleznete zde: Silné a odvážné_Klíčová role žen v první pomoci a obnově v konfliktních zónách – nový report CARE_Otázky a odpovědi

CARE Česká republika dlouhodobě pomáhá ženám a dětem ve válečných konfliktech. Přidejte se k nám i Vy: 

Chci pomoci ženám a dětem ve válečných konfliktech
Humanitarian aid worker Victoria Fiohnostava, 32, sorting relief supplies in the emergency shelter in Lviv, Ukraine Victoria Fiohnostava, 32, lived in Butscha near Kyiv before she fled to Lviv at the beginning of March. There, she started to work with the local organization Tvoya Opra, a CARE partner, as head of an emergency shelter, which opened on March 16 and currently host 105 residents. More than 2,000 people have already passed through the shelter. A third of them children. The shelter accepts everyone - also pets, which is something special. Not all shelters accept the pets of the displaced.   Victoria has a day full of work: She manages the bills, searches online for free supplies, inspects shelters, writes proposals for new funding of the shelter, coordinates the requests for long-term stays and helps the residents finding schools, jobs, and accommodations. She is the heart and soul of the shelter and works from 8:30 a.m. up until curfew starts late in the evening. She knows every resident and every pet by name.   In the emergency shelter a gallery was set up. Here, the displaced children can put up their paintings. Victoria always takes a few seconds to stop and appreciate the art and the stories connected to them. “It is difficult for me to carry these stories in my heart, but I have to be the strong one. I don’t want anyone to see me cry. One day – after the war – I would like to open an art gallery and invite the press to tell the stories of all these children.”, Victoria says.      CARE and its partners help internally displaced people in Ukraine with food, water, hygiene products and other daily necessities. Shelters receive support with rehabilitation measures, equipped with furniture and kitchen appliances.   
Lami and her savings group are tackling gender-based violence. In the refugee camp where Lami lives in Niger, women and girls face a high risk of sexual violence. At one time, there were nightly cases of rape. As President of her local savings group, Lami was able to mobilise the women in her group, take this issue to local law enforcement and demand that they patrol each night to help keep women in the camp safe.   “This was my greatest achievement,” says Lami, “I was not afraid or slowed down by anyone. I spoke in public and in front of everyone in order to defend our rights.” In the Diffa region of Niger, women like Lami are engaging in a number of activities to protect vulnerable people in their communities, from organising GBV awareness raising sessions to advocating successfully for safe spaces to keep children occupied outside of class.  These inspirational women are all part of CARE’s global Women Lead in Emergencies programme. Women Lead in Emergencies is the first practical toolkit for frontline humanitarians to support women to take the lead in responding to crises that affect them and their communities. This approach puts decision-making – and money – in the hands of women directly affected by crisis. CARE and partners accompany women’s groups, as they increase their awareness of their rights, build confidence and solidarity, and take collective action to improve their lives and their communities.  
 Kotove Snizhenne, 45-years-old and her daughter Kotevyne, 12, stand outside a transit center in Przemysl, Poland, on March 2, 2022. The situation was tensed, with the bombs and fighting when they left. The grand-mother is stranded in her town, surrounded by Russian forces. Kotove says : "My daughter say everything,and she saw the images of Russian tanks in her grand mother's town. She can't stop crying and is frightened all the time." The children used to study in Lviv and the mother says she now worries for their education, as "Everything is under depression in Ukraine now. If the war continues there will benothing left. Everything is linked with the war now. It is a bloody, monstruous war."
IDPS woman at the site of the displaced of kolobougou in Niono making a hat to generate income
Internally displaced people are uprooted from their homes and deprived of security, shelter, food, water and livelihoods.  With funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), CARE has provided unconditional cash transfers and cash-for-work activities in eleven districts of the Marib Alwadi area. Through cash-for-work activities, 84 people - 66 men and 18 women - were supported to rehabilitate key assets such as latrines, sewage systems, water networks, and earn much-needed income to buy food and other necessities.
Volunteers in the kitchen at a Coffeeshop in Kyiv which functions as the Headquarters of Kyiv of Volunteers, a network of volunteers that provides about 11.000 meals a day to the people in Kyiv and the surrounding areas. They have around 500 volunteers and 100 drivers. “We have become a war kitchen”, says Slava Balbek, one of the coordinators of the network. They now have about 25 restaurants and three bakeries that joined their work. They closed their restaurants and opened their kitchen and fridges for the volunteers. “We deliver to hospitals, kindergartens, retirement homes. Sometimes we set up our cars and open it for everyone. About 80 elderly women receive a food pack for the next couple of days”, says Leilia Tuvakliieva, an organizer of the network. They have many volunteers that help on a daily basis from organizing the supplies, distributing and stocking up to cooking and delivering. “We have taxi drivers, painters, architects here. You lose your job, so you use your skills in a different way. I was a manager at a bakery before. We connect people. We even have a waiting list for the volunteers at the moment. If someone wants to volunteer, we ask them how big their car is. How many packages will fit in it? One car would fit around 300 packed meals.”, says Leilia. In Ukraine, CARE supports a number of partner organizations that have a proven track record in development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Volunteers and smaller local initiatives receive financial support to help flexibly on the ground.  *NO written consent form available. The purpose of taking photos was communicated verbally to everyone on that day so there is oral consent. Timing and logistics made it impossible to receive individual signatures from everyone whom we captured in photos.
“I was terrified one of them might die behind me and I wouldn’t know” For years Hanan and her family wandered in search of shelter from the war. Now settled in a camp in Northeast Syria, Hanan hopes to give her children more stability. She recently participated in a CARE literacy program. Having only recently learned to read herself, nothing makes Hanan*, 50, happier than being able to help her four-year-old son, Ammar* spell. Though Hanan never had a chance to go to school, she was determined all seven of her children, aged between 28 and 4 years old, would get a decent education. But the war in Syria changed that. Only three completed their education. The rest dropped out of school when the family was forced to flee their home in fear for their lives. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, and Ammar a mere infant at the time, the family spent the next four years wandering from place to place, seeking refuge from the conflict raging around them. Having already lost one son to the war, Hanan was deeply fearful of losing the others.   “The day we left our home was very scary. I asked my children to walk in front of me. I was terrified one of them might die behind me and I wouldn’t know,” she recalls.   “We lived in different places. One time we lived in the desert with absolutely nothing, not even a tent above our heads. Every place we settled in was very difficult. Each time we had to start all over again, and again, and again. A replay of the same events but in different locations.”   When they finally returned home, they found their house destroyed. With Hanan’s husband sick and in need of medical treatment, the role of breadwinner fell to her. She began selling clothes and making woolen garments. But it hasn’t been enough to make ends meet and Hanan can’t send her children back to school.   To improve the family’s situation, Hanan joined a three-month literacy program offered by CARE. Initially it was her children who helped her with her homework, but now she’s able to homeschool her youngest child.     “The first thing I learned to write was my name and my children’s names,” she says proudly. “[Literacy] helps women become independent and helps them to protect themselves financially. It also enables women to participate more actively in society.”   Her greatest desire now is to be a good role model and support for her children.   “After my son died, I did my best to make the other children happy. I can’t afford to lose any one of them. I am proud that I am a good mother. I try to be caring, loving and understanding. I try to be their friend more than their mother. Their happiness is what keeps me going.”
Badrah, 42, is a widowed mother who fled the conflict in Taiz and currently lives with her children in a Al-zelay  camp site
IDPS women setting up shelters in the IDP site of kolodougou in Niono
Dadaab Refugee Camp - outskirts - this is where the new arrivals, that have not been registered yet, settle. Fatuma, 60, is a new arrival at Dadaab. She arrived two months ago from Mogadishu in Somalia together with 12 members of her family. She is carrying two CARE jerricans and a package of soap bars, that have been distributed by CARE. “There are no usable latrines for us, so we have to just go where we can. And we drink from the same water human and animal feces have been washed into. Some of my neighbors have gotten sick and are in the hospital,” describes Fatuma. In April this year, there have already been more than 1,000 confirmed cases of Cholera. Fatuma is not registered yet and lives in the outskirts with about 133.000 other new arrivals. “We came from Mogadishu, where my husband died in an explosion. There we had no security and no education. It was very hard. It took us eight days to come here. We saved the money for a truck to the border, then we walked the rest.”  Eight family members fit in the small about 4m² makeshift hut made from sticks and cloth from old clothes that she and her children built themselves. “We have no supplies, everything here we either found or neighbors gave to us. It is not big enough for my whole family. Five of the boys sleep outside,” says Fatuma. The cloth and tarps that make up her home are not waterproof. The heavy rains completely flood her hut. Every night she sits inside with her three grandchildren under her clothes, and they pray, that the roof does not collapse on top of their heads. “It was painful to leave home, even talking about it now, my emotions come up. But where else should we go? At home in Somalia is nothing left, only fear and trauma.” Living in the outskirts of the official camp is a challenge for Fatuma. Access to water, food, and basic items such as soap is limited. There are not enough resources for the many people in need. The distribution of soap and jerricans has been cancelled for three months in a row, because the resources are missing. CARE has stepped in and started distributing to new arrivals. “Without CARE we would have nothing. Now we at least have access to some drinking water, soap, and jerricans”, says Fatuma. However, the drinking water in the tanks built by CARE is not enough for everyone. Water deliveries are also delayed due to the current floods in Dadaab. “When there is no water in the tanks, we sometimes walk for 1.5 hours to go and find water. Then we roll the water back to our hut,” describes Fatuma. Rolling the water means that the round jerricans are put on the floor and rolled either by hand or by foot through mud, dirt, and feces. The clean drinking water easily contaminates this way and can cause serious illnesses. That is why CARE distributes rectangular jerricans, with an easy handle to carry, so the water stays clean and safe. CARE supports the new arrivals with the supply and installation of micro water storage facilities which can hold to up to 5,000 liters of drinking water and distributes plastic jerricans, constructs communal latrines and supplies soap bars to all new arrival households residing in the outskirts. Additionally, women and girls are provided with menstrual hygiene dignity kits.
Miada, 30, married with four children, works as a nurse in the reproductive health clinic at Balsam Center operated by the Syria Relief and Development (SRD) in partnership with CARE in northwest Syria. After being displaced three times due to war, Miada lives with her family in a room roofed with insulation sheets inside a camp in northwest Syria. Through her work, Miada supports her family and her husband, who is pursuing higher education in another city. The night of the earthquake Miada was alone with the children and had to run out of the room which its walls were cracked.  Miada continued her work after the earthquake with courage, overcoming the challenges she went through to help pregnant women who need her presence at the clinic.   "Women, especially pregnant ones, suffer from increased disruptions after the earthquake, where the threat of losing the fetus has increased. In the gynecology clinic, we have a great responsibility to alleviate their fears and monitor them regularly. Also, there are cases of mothers who can no longer breastfeed due to fear and stress, so we have to educate them about the importance of breastfeeding and staying healthy so they can breastfeed their children again."  Recently, Miada heard news at work about the reduction of funding and humanitarian aid, and she believes it will negatively impact all aspects of the lives of the residents in northwest Syria, especially since thousands of families rely on humanitarian aid and have no source of income.    About Balsam Center: run by Syria Relief and Development (SRD), a CARE partner in northwest Syria, this center is funded by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). Balsam Center provides a safe space for women and girls, along with reproductive health services such as pregnancy monitoring, family planning awareness, and general reproductive health education. In addition to referral services and case management, the center offers specialized awareness sessions on child protection, general protection, raising awareness, information dissemination, and health education provided by the mobile team. Additionally, the center provides various other services focused on life skills.  Through BHA funding, CARE and its partners in northwest Syria responded to the earthquake-affected areas by clearing debris and providing cash assistance to the most vulnerable families to secure food, water, sanitation, and protection services for earthquake survivors. This is in addition to their ongoing and comprehensive services aimed at promoting food security in northwest Syria. This includes monthly cash vouchers, support for livelihoods, agricultural infrastructure development, and the rehabilitation of water and sanitation networks in the region with a total of 2.5 million people reached with these services between July 2022 and October 2023. 
Photo was taken in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk Region. Olga, 55, a volunteer at the laundry set up by a CARE partner with her buckets. 80% of the buildings in town have been damaged or destroyed. There has not been any running water for nearly a year as the infrastructure has been severely damaged. In Sviatohirsk a CARE partner has set up several water tanks to supply the residents with clean drinking water and water for showering, cleaning and cooking. Also a laundry was set up with the support of CARE, which is the only place in Sviatohirsk in which laundry washing is possible. Additionally, 40 houses have been repaired with the support of CARE and the renovation of another 325 is in process. Before the escalation of the war two years ago the village and surrounding settlements was home to 12,000 people. Now 2,700 remain of which 1,200 are elderly. Olga, 55, is a volunteer at the laundry. They have 6 washing machines and 4 drying machines. The maximum of washing per day was 47 in the summer. Olga does not have a private water well in her own garden, so she needs to leave the house to gather the water for the day for her family. “Every morning I get up at 8 a.m. to carry 150 liters of water to my house with buckets, because that’s what my family needs on a daily basis to cook, clean, shower or drink,” explains Olga.
Dalia Mohamed is a doctor and community activist living in the countryside of Taiz Governorate in Yemen. She lives close to the front lines, and she suffered an injury to her eye as a result of the conflict. Dalia works as a local mediator in conflict resolution, providing assistance and protection to displaced and rural women. She also provides first aid and health education to rural communities. Dalia has participated in many community activities, including mediation efforts to reopen roads in Taiz that were blocked by the conflict. “The needs in the rural areas captivated me. I was convinced that the rural communities needed me. I have a lot of opportunities ahead of me, and I even have opportunities to travel abroad, but when I think about it if I leave these people, who will stand with them and be here for them?” she says.
“I am afraid Ramadan will bring more bloodshed. I am afraid this war will never end.” Lara, mother of six children, prays for the children who are starving and those who have lost their parents. “Before the 7th of October, we lived a peaceful life. Our life now is filled with fear, horror, hardship, and discomfort. Since October, we have lived in different shelters and locations. Here in Rafah, we live in a tent. I spend my days walking many kilometres to fill up some water bottles for my children. Every day I fear that I will not be able to feed my little ones. The prices for everything are very high, and a lot of the nutritious foods children need are not available. The month of Ramadan is very special to me. It is a month of serenity and worshipping, a time of joy. The war has changed everything. I am afraid of Ramadan; I am afraid of the predicted ground invasion. I am afraid this war will never go away, that we will always have to live in these horrific circumstances. Usually, during Ramadan, we decorate our house. We get out our nice glasses and plates and clean our house. Now, we don’t have a house to clean anymore. We live in a tent, our home is destroyed, families cannot fully gather anymore, because many of their members are dead. All I can think of is the people we have lost. I think of the children in the Northern part of Gaza who are so hungry they die of starvation. My biggest wish is that things will change for the better and that people feel safe again. We need an end to this war. Enough is enough, we cannot bare any more losses in our lives, we cannot see more death surrounding us. More than anything I pray for the children who are hungry, for the children who have lost their mothers and fathers, and those who don’t know yet if their parents are alive or dead. “I want my children to feel safe and happy during this Ramadan.” All names have been changed for protection reasons On March 12, the holy month of Ramadan is starting for 1.6 billion Muslims across the world. Ramadan is a time of fasting, sharing, praying and reflection. People gather with their families to break the fast at the end of the day and decorate their homes and streets with lights. For Palestinians in Gaza, this Ramadan is the hardest one they have ever had to live through. 2.3 people are at the brink of famine, 80% of them have had to flee multiple times to seek safety from the constant bombings. More than 60% have nothing but piles of rubble to call their homes, and over 100,000 people have been killed or severely injured. CARE has asked internally displaced people living in tents in Rafah what Ramadan means to them, how this holy month is different from previous ones, and what their biggest wish is for this special time.  
Aisha*, 47, mother of nine children currently residing in a displacement camp "My life was stable before displacement; despite the many times our village was shelled. I lived in my house with my children, close to my family. This made me feel so safe and comfortable. Whenever life got tough, I could turn to my relatives for help. Our financial situation was good and we had enough to cover our needs," says Aisha, who has been displaced within Idlib. Since they fled home, the family has been displaced three more times. Today Aisha works as a daily worker in agricultural fields earning about a dollar and a quarter per day. “Most of my children had to drop out of school due to financial constraints and the need to work. But also, schools are very far away from the camp and it was very difficult to attend classes.” Aisha joins the psychological support group sessions provided by CARE’s local Syria Relief and Development Organization, and she also took part in a literacy course that was offered at Syria Relief’s center, where she learned to read and write. "I just wish and hope to return to my home and family and see us all together gathered around one table like we used to. I also hope to receive aid to be able to start my own project, especially now that funding for humanitarian aid is expected to be reduced. I am very worried about the future. I believe that the reduction of humanitarian aid will only lead to increased theft and famine.” *Names have been changed to protect identities. Background:13 Years of War, Displacement, and Crisis in Northwest Syria: Three Women's Wishes As the Syria conflict enters its 13th year, the humanitarian situation in the northwest of the country continues to deteriorate. A few months after the February 2023 earthquakes, communities have grappled with shortages of humanitarian funding and a renewed escalation of violence, which has further deepened the suffering of over 4 million people. Due to the shortage of funding, humanitarian actors, including CARE, are needing to prioritize one vulnerable life over another while communities witness ongoing food shortages and continued inflation in food prices, which is making four out of five Syrians in northwest Syria food insecure. On March 15, only five days into the holy month of Ramadan, it will be exactly 13 years after the start of the Syrian conflict. How do people cope with the constantly deteriorating living conditions? How do they receive Ramadan this year? What do they miss the most? We talked to three women currently residing in northwest Syria to find out.  
It is predominately women and children who are tasked with fetching the water, but for 70 years old Letensea there is no one else who could take on her task. She lives alone with her four-year-old grandson Danay after her only son died in 2022 in the conflict in Tigray. “We lost our biggest supporter when he died. I am lonely and my grandson always asks me where his father is,” says Letensea. Letensea and her grandson live in a small community in wide open fields and on dry land and she is a member of the community’s water committee. Before the conflict, the community had installed a water pump that ran on a fuel-powered generator. “The generator was often broken, and it was not powerful enough to access the amount of water that the community needs,” says Gebregergis, 75, a fellow member of the water committee. When the conflict started, they could no longer afford to run the water pump. “The price of fuel was 10 US-Dollars per liter during the conflict. Before it was only 1 USD. And then there was a shortage of fuel. So, during the conflict, we had to power down the water pump completely and we had to walk again,” Gebregergis continues. Using water from rivers or lakes has a high risk of spreading disease, as these water sources can easily be contaminated by open-air defecation, increasing the risk of cholera outbreaks. With the support of our local partner REST, CARE has now installed solar panels to power the water pump in the SELAM project. The community’s school and clinic have also been connected to the water system, giving them access to running water. “Now there is no cost. No transportation, no fuel, because we can run it by ourselves and it is so powerful,” says Gebregergis. 2,000 people have had access to the four taps distributed around the community for four months now. “The burden for women and children has been reduced tremendously,” Gebregergis adds. Letensea no longer walks to the river, as the water allocated close to her home meets all her needs. “I had prayed to God every day to bring us clean water. Now it is here. Now it’s easy for me. It saves time and energy. And I even have enough for my sheep to drink,” she says. The sheep are Letensea’s main source of income as she does not have any land to live from and they mean everything to her. “I went to the river myself, to fetch water and bring it to the sheep. I do not take my sheep down that dangerous path. I am too scared to lose one,” she says. The land in Tigray is dry and the current drought is putting an even heavier strain on the community. Even with the solar-powered water pump, there is not enough for everyone. “We have to limit the water access. Four jerricans per person, which is 80 liters, and only between their assigned time frames. We in this group can fetch our four jerricans between 2 and 6 p.m. With this we can use the limited resources more effectively,” says Gebregergis. They decide together as a committee to face the challenges of drought, the impact of the conflict, and economic instability. “This year the drought is severe. Before the solar panels, there were many days, I went without one drop of water because getting to the river is so difficult for me. We are trying to survive as well as possible, but we need help. I am so grateful, that my grandson, my sheep, and I at least have enough water now,” concludes Letensea.
Sadeah Mohammed is one of Al Karb village residents who have benefited from the newly rehabilitated water system. Proir to the intervention, she used to trek ver far to get water but she can now easily and safely get water dialy. 
“My little shop is vital for survival”  When Ezra* thinks about the earthquake that struck northwest Syria a year ago, she recalls only tears and pain. “My tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with the heavy raindrops that fell simultaneously,” she says. Standing before her devastated small grocery store, Ezra felt she was facing “the ruins of her existence” as she described it. How would her family survive now? The refrigerator laid in ruins, and all the supplies and products on her shelves were strewn about and unusable. Not a single item in her shop could be salvaged.  Ezra, 46 years old, is the mother of five children, residing in a small town in northwest Syria. Since her husband disappeared at the onset of the Syrian conflict, she has been solely responsible for providing for the family. The grocery store she established twelve years ago was her sole possession. Until the earthquake struck, it had sustained her and her children. Ezra’s kiosk was also vital to the neighborhood, providing essential items within easy reach.  Following the earthquake, she lacked the funds to replace the lost and damaged items in her shop. She could only focus on clearing away the debris, repairing, and cleaning the sales area. She held onto hope that one day she could restock her kiosk, but she was uncertain when or if that would be possible.  The organization Shafak, a partner of CARE in the region, made Ezra’s dream a reality through an aid project focused on livelihoods. Owners of shops destroyed by the earthquake receive financial aid to reopen their businesses. The aim is to restore the operators’ livelihoods through renewed income. Equally vital is the economic support and access to services provided by small grocery stores in the region. This initiative helps partially restore the damage of affected communities ravaged by the earthquake. With financial backing from the European Union, CARE swiftly provides emergency aid while fostering long-term prospects for displaced individuals in Syria.  “I desperately needed the grant,” says Ezra. “My only hope for a decent life hinged on rebuilding my shop.” As part of the project, she also participated in training courses. Following the initial payout, Ezra purchased a new refrigerator and essential groceries such as lentils, rice, bulgur, and sugar. She had already repaired the broken shelves in her store.  Today Ezra is overjoyed that with the reopening of her business, her children can continue their education. “I can return to work and provide them with a life of dignity,” she says. Unfortunately, Ezra remains haunted by the fear of another earthquake as she says the disaster has impacted her mental health but nevertheless, she has ambitious plans. Ezra hopes to expand her food sales and establish a women’s workshop were, widowed women or those supporting their families alone for other reasons can earn income by producing household goods.  *Name changed to protect identity 
***LOW RES MOBILE PHONE PHOTOS*** Six months on: Fear, loss, hunger and displacement dictating mothers’ lives. All names have been changed for protection reasons Six months after the devastating conflict in Gaza, CARE spoke to displaced mothers about their current living situation, biggest fears, and their wishes for the future. Currently, 2.3 million people, the entire population of Gaza, are at risk of starving. Since 7 October, nearly 1.9 million people, about 85 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been displaced. The majority of the 24,000 killed and 59,000 injured are women and children – on average almost six women and children have died every hour since the start of the conflict. Nowhere and no one in Gaza is safe, and mothers and their children continue to be hit the hardest.    
Six months on: Fear, loss, hunger and displacement dictating mothers’ lives. All names have been changed for protection reasons Six months after the devastating conflict in Gaza, CARE spoke to displaced mothers about their current living situation, biggest fears, and their wishes for the future. Currently, 2.3 million people, the entire population of Gaza, are at risk of starving. Since 7 October, nearly 1.9 million people, about 85 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been displaced. The majority of the 24,000 killed and 59,000 injured are women and children – on average almost six women and children have died every hour since the start of the conflict. Nowhere and no one in Gaza is safe, and mothers and their children continue to be hit the hardest.    
Dunia, a mother of three, is a teacher in one of Yemen's schools. Her school was close to the front lines and was destroyed in the fighting.  Dunia and her colleagues, including Ashwaq Abduljalil, worked hard to relocate the students from their damaged school to another nearby school to study in the afternoons so they wouldn't miss out on an education. “Reassuring and comforting young girls in class with the sound of shelling and gunfire going on while I was shaking inside was the hardest thing to do, especially at the beginning of the conflict on the front lines of the city,” she says.
Despite living far from the school, Maryam, a teacher at of Al-Zubairi School, continues to teach and rarely misses classes. "I feel happy when I go to the school and see the new classrooms. It gives me hope that my students will have a better future if they continue their education," she concludes. While the new classrooms are a significant step forward, challenges remain severe at Al-Zubairi School. Additional classrooms and sanitation facilities are urgently needed to accommodate students and improve the learning environment. In addition, the school administration needs dedicated office space and reliable funding for teacher incentives and learning supplies to ensure sustainable, quality education.
Hanee with several of her grandchildren. "What are we doing with this life? We have had to flee our homes and live in this camp, in these tents! What kind of home is it? Underneath us are only hard stones. Water leaks beneath the tents, making such a bad smell. We miss our home."Berseve 1 is one of the largest camps for displaced persons in northern Iraq, with almost 15,000 people living there. CARE is supporting garbage collection, waste removal, and latrine cleaning through teams of Iraqi staff and volunteers and in collaboration with local partner agency, Harikar. CARE has also supplied garbage bins, kerosene stoves, barrels and fire extinguishers. Photo credit: CARE International/Mary Kate MacIsaac
Hala, Omar and Sanad gather around their mother, Amani.Amani is from a small town in Eastern Ghouta, where all the houses were flattened to the ground. Her father and three of her uncles were killed in front of her very eyes. She recalls her aunt being beaten, raped and then executed under her gaze. While everyone from her town fled, Amani, her husband Khaled and their children stayed in besieged Eastern Ghouta. Life was unbearable. Amani left her husband there to look for a place to protect her children from the airstrikes She reached As-Suwayda governorate, when it was covered with snow and most people gathered around their heaters, but she couldn’t find a shelter for her children. She then headed to Quneitra governorate, where she finally settled in a camp set on rocky land close to the Syrian-Israeli border and distant from any inhabited areas. .Amani has three children, Hala, Omar and Sanad. She lives with them in a small tent that offers little protection from the hot summers and cold winters. Every day, she has to walk a long way to get clean water. With the prevalence of snakes and scorpions, she lives in constant worry for her children Amani says that Al-Rahma (mercy, in Arabic) Camp has no mercy. It is filled with rocks and thorns, which she spends hours plucking from her children’s feet when they are done playing for the day and dress up their wounds after stumbling upon rocks ‘My only wish is to have a dignified life with my husband and children, away from the war and this dangerous environment,” she says
Hala* is a displaced woman who lives with her five granddaughters in a camp in northwest Syria. She is the sole breadwinner for her family. Hala recalls Ramadan when she was in her hometown, before war and displacement, saying: “In the past we were happy and life was easy, during Ramadan. We were able to buy what we need and eat what we want. We used to share our Iftar meals with our neighbors, as a tradition in Ramadan. Now, living conditions are difficult and Ramadan has become different.” Hala receives $50 in Cash-for-Food Assistance from Shafak, one of CARE’s Syrian partner organizations. “Due to this assistance our situation is getting better. I have to borrow money to secure the needs of my family, but once I receive the assistance, I pay off the debt. The prices are skyrocketing and living in the tent is harsh – we have little protection from the hot summers and the cold, rainy winters, but what can we do? We have no other place to go,” says Hala. *Name has been changed

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