Restoring mothers’ hopes, even in Syria’s most remote villages

In Syria, over 6.5 million children are in urgent need of nutrition assistance. Among the most vulnerable are children under five, for whom malnutrition can be a matter of life or death. In the quiet corners of the country, where roads end, and services rarely reach, children are battling more than just hunger. They’re fighting to survive.

Ahmad is one of many.

“We live in extreme poverty that some days all we eat is bread with tea,” Ahmad’s mother, Shaima* shares. “What makes life even tougher is that the road to the nearest town is so far. If we need anything urgent, my husband has to walk almost an hour just to reach the main road.”

Far from the bustle of the city, in a village in Rural Damascus, lives Shaima’s family, her husband and two sons. Their home, a modest house tucked within a farm is shared with Shaima’s in-laws. The women work in agriculture, tending to trees and crops, while the men work as guards and take up painting and tiling jobs when they can. Even with their combined income, they barely cover a fraction of their basic needs. This unfortunately is a common occurrence in Syria as 90 of the population lives below the poverty line.

Life in isolation made access to healthcare nearly impossible, especially during Shaima’s difficult pregnancy, and later, when little Ahmad arrived with signs of weakness and low birth weight.

From the moment Ahmad was born, Shaima noticed he was smaller than other babies. “He was always thin. During my pregnancy, I could barely eat. We had nothing, and I didn’t get the care I needed”, she recalls.

As Ahmad grew, his health didn’t only deteriorate. He suffered frequent infections and struggled with respiratory illnesses. Doctors told Shaima he would catch up eventually, but months passed, and things only got worse.

At almost two years old, Ahmad weighed just 9.5 kg, which is considered low for his age. His appetite was depleting, and his energy nearly gone. “I didn’t know what to do. I felt helpless watching my child shrink instead of grow”. 

Then came a knock on the door

In response to the growing crisis of child malnutrition in Syria, World Vision Syria Response (WVSR) took swift action. Understanding the urgent needs of children like Ahmad, they launched a dedicated project in Damascus to fight malnutrition. WVSR was among the first to reach this newly accessible area, bringing critical support to families who had long been out of reach.

During a field visit by World Vision Syria Response’s partner, Action For Humanity, to Shaima’s area, a health worker assessed Ahmad and confirmed what Shaima feared; he was suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). Shaima, too, showed signs of malnutrition and needed immediate support.

Both were enrolled in World Vision’s Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) project which provided nutritional support for children aged 6 to 59 months, as well as for pregnant and lactating women.

The team gave Shaima and Ahmad Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food, a high-energy, nutrient-rich peanut-based paste designed to help restore strength and health.

“I started seeing changes in Ahmad almost immediately,” Shaima says. “He began eating more, playing more, and slowly putting on weight.”

After two and a half months of biweekly follow-ups and nutritional support, Ahmad’s weight increased by 10.5 percent. His health indicators became within the normal range, and he was discharged. 

But the impact wasn’t only felt through Ahmad, Shaima also began to feel stronger. For the first time in many years, her weight increased, gaining 5 kgs. Though she is still under follow-up, she now feels full of energy and hope.

“I can’t explain the joy I felt when the doctor said Ahmad had recovered. He is my world. And now, I feel better too. I can be an even better mother now”, she happily expresses.

“We still struggle. But this support gave us a chance at a better life”, she concludes.

World Vision’s nutrition project focused on early detection and treatment of malnutrition among children and mothers. In partnership with partner, Action For Humanity, we reached over 26,000 individuals in hard-to-access areas with lifesaving care, including food kits, health consultations, and follow-up services.

With your support, we can continue to restore hope, one mother, one child, one community at a time.

*Name has been changed to protect identity