A wedding between refugee tents: A Syrian father longs for home

By Rachel Cawood — Digital Press Officer, Oxfam Great Britain

Abu Mustaffa is the proud father of seven children. He has also just celebrated the marriage of one of his brothers , Mohammed, 21.

Abu Mustaffa and his family fled to Jordan from Syria nearly three years ago, during the early days of the conflict, leaving their home in Hamra behind to escape the escalating crisis and to seek a safer life.

The wedding took place in the tent where Abu Mustaffa and his family live in the Jordan Valley. The bride, called Samar, was from another Syrian family living in a neighbouring tented settlement. The traditional Syrian dish Mansaf (chicken and rice) was prepared and there was dancing.

Mohammed and Samar, both 21, pose for a photo at their wedding. They got married in a small tent in the Jordan Valley. They met in Jordan and live in neighbouring tented settlements.

Abu Mustaffa’s sad eyes sparkle for a moment as he remembers that evening of joy and laughter.

The 50-year-old says: “We came to Jordan for safety. Now no one can go back to our village, it’s too dangerous and life is too difficult … we want people across the world to help us to get back to our country.

He speaks longingly of his life in Syria before the conflict: “In our country, we were among our family, relatives and friends. We would go out and visit each other, we’d spend the evenings at family gatherings. We also planted seasonal crops, like cucumbers and tomatoes …  and we’d eat this produce of our own lands.

“We would visit each other and have family gatherings and celebrations together – that is what is possible when we are together in our homeland.”

Abu Mustaffa, 50, holds his one-year-old grandchild Mohammed. Abu Mustaffa lives in a small tent with his family in the Jordan Valley.

Life on the road as a refugee is constantly changing and Abu Mustaffa and his family are now starting to think about moving to the north of Jordan in June because the weather in the Jordan Valley will become too hot and unbearable. They will take down their tent and move their few belongings to Mafraq Governorate. The constant moving gets the family down.

Life goes on for Syrian refugees living in tented settlements in the Jordan Valley. Here the community come together to eat during the wedding.

Abu Mustaffa says: “The most difficult thing is the moving – we keep moving and moving, and installing the tent again and again is a burden on us. It’s annoying for us as a family as we don’t feel stable, and it’s important to feel stable.”

There is an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness in the small tent despite the recent marriage celebrations.

When asked if he feels hopeful for a peace agreement to end the crisis, Abu Mustaffa answers: “No, no, no, no … I am not hopeful that there will be any peace, I feel hopeless. We all hope things will get better, but nothing happens. I want to go back to normal life where everything is fine and people have stopped killing each other.”

The future of his children and grandchildren is one of the most important things.

He says: “We hope to go back, so that our children will return to their schools to learn, and to farm their land and be productive in their own country.”

Access to basic services including medical care, clean water and public transport is poor in the Jordan Valley. Oxfam is working with Abu Mustaffa’s family and others living in 45 tented settlements, in the Jordan Valley.