Mohammad’s story from fleeing to helping displaced people in Syria

As the Syria crises entered its seventh year, ACTED team in Syria aims to provide vulnerable conflict-affected populations with rapid emergency response programmes to cover their most immediate needs whilst also providing more recovery-oriented programmes which aim to support the rehabilitation of public infrastructure, shelter and livelihoods, underpinned by overarching governance support. Mohammad, Sub-Area Manager in Syria, answered a couple of questions the occasion of World Humanitarian Day. Mohammad contributes to a shelter and NFI project to support vulnerable households affected by the Syria crisis.

What inspired you to become a humanitarian aid worker?

“In 2012, my home town was touched by the conflict and I therefore got to escape with my 2-year-old son and my wife. We left our home without anything. Volunteers helped us and provided us with a temporary room to live in with food and all needs to survive. From that day, I understood the importance of humanitarian work and decided to be a part of it.”

What is your favourite thing about working with this ACTED project? What do you like the most?

“I am very happy to contribute to a shelter project which, among others, aims to rehabilitate 550 households and 12 collective centres. What I like the most about this project is that what we accomplish remains over time, and one can go back years after and still see what was achieved since walls, roofs, tiles do not disappear.”

What was your most rewarding moment on the job? What has been your greatest success/achievement during this project?

“Sometimes you enter places with the worst life conditions you can imagine. ACTED goes in these households and help creating better life conditions for the most vulnerable. And we actually change their lives and it is incredible to see we helped them. We really reached out our beneficiaries by providing a service that they could never afford. It is really touching. Working in this shelter project makes one understand the importance of humanitarian work and mostly remember that there are lots of vulnerable people out there who need help and support.”

What are the biggest challenges you face working in the humanitarian aid sector?

“The biggest challenge I face is the limited budget: one can never meet all needs identified on the ground. Moreover, the security situation in the field represented also a significant challenge.”