Umm Ali and her extended family live in a displacement camp in northern Idlib.
“My husband is the only breadwinner, but he is unable to work as he is elderly and managing chronic health conditions. So, my daughters and I harvest during the season. We earn a small wage that barely covers our daily needs,” Umm Ali says.
Her family became displaced during Syria’s long conflict, but despite major political change in the country, returning home is not easy.
“We are still living in a tent in a camp. Although our area has been liberated, we cannot return to our home because it’s heavily damaged and lacks basic services. There are hospitals and schools near the camp, but living in a tent is extremely hard – especially for a large family of 14 like ours.
“We only eat meat once a year, from Eid al-Adha to the next Eid al-Adha. Occasionally, someone donates meat, but it’s extremely rare. It’s extremely difficult. The wages we earn are not even enough for bread and essentials. How can we afford meat – especially with its high price? We can’t even afford 100 grams.
“It affects us a lot, especially the children. Meat is an essential nutritional need, and we simply can’t afford it. Specialised teams often visit and diagnose the children with malnutrition due to the lack of meat in their diet. It even weakens their immune systems.
“Eid al-Adha has become a distant dream for us. In the past, we were happy to welcome Eid – we used to sacrifice [an animal], distribute meat to the needy, buy new clothes and prepare sweets. Now, we only wait for Eid so we can receive a portion of meat to feed our children. We look forward to it in the hope of having meat again.”
Overjoyed
Umm Ali is one of more than 25,700 people in Syria who received a qurbani meat parcel from Islamic Relief in 2025.
Islamic Relief’s team in Syria worked with camp management and local communities to ensure those most in need would receive support, including the elderly and women-headed households.
Across the world, our 2025 qurbani distribution reached more than 3.2 million people in 29 countries, easing the burden on vulnerable families, supporting their nutrition and sharing the joy of Eid.
“We were overjoyed to receive a generous portion of meat. We grilled it immediately. The children were extremely happy – they hadn’t eaten grilled meat since last Eid al-Adha,” Umm Ali says.
“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped deliver this qurbani meat to those in need. I hope you can also support us in restoring our home so we can leave tent life behind. Thank you – and Eid Mubarak to you all.”
Fulfil your qurbani this Eid. Give generously to our Qurbani Appeal to help us reach even more families like Umm Ali’s in Syria and beyond this year.
