A mother's determination, a baby's healthy start
UNICEF is supporting mothers with breastfeeding and nutrition counselling, helping ensure babies get the nutrients they need to grow, develop and thrive
Jaramana, Rural Damascus - When Yara, a 30-year-old mother of three, brings her one-month-old son, Rayan at a UNICEF-supported health and nutrition centre in Jaramana, Rural Damascus, she was worried he was not getting enough breastmilk.
"I was so worried about him," she recalled. "I felt like he wasn't getting enough milk. Sometimes he refused to breastfeed, and I didn't know what to do."
Yara is not new to breastfeeding. She has breastfed all her children, including her eldest son Louay, 10, and her daughter Wateen, 7. Yet with Rayan, the experience felt more difficult.
"I kept thinking that maybe I should use formula," she said. "But I didn't want to give up."
Yara knew where she could seek support. She had first visited the health centre she had trusted for years.
"I brought my daughter here when she was younger because she wasn't eating well, and they helped her so much," she explained. "Since then, I've kept coming back. Every visit teaches me something new."
At the centre, Yara received individual counselling and group awareness sessions on breastfeeding and maternal nutrition.
"The doctor sat with me and explained everything," Yara said. "She showed me how to position my baby correctly during breastfeeding, what foods and drinks could support me, and reassured me that my milk was enough. For the first time, I felt understood and supported."
Encouraged by the guidance she received, Yara followed the recommendations, attended follow-up appointments, and continued breastfeeding despite the challenges.
Within weeks, she began to see the results.
"Rayan gained two kilograms in just one month," she said with a smile. "I could hardly believe it. It gave me so much confidence and reassured me that breastfeeding was providing everything he needed."
Today, the centre remains an important source of support for Yara and her family.
"The staff genuinely cares about us," she said. "They even call if I miss an appointment. It makes me feel that my children and I matter."
For Yara, breastfeeding is about far more than nutrition. It is a source of comfort, connection, and confidence.
"Breastfeeding strengthened both my baby and me," she reflected. "It helped Rayan grow healthy and gave me confidence as a mother."
Since the beginning of 2026, UNICEF’s nutrition programme in Syria has engaged nearly 250,000 caregivers on optimal infant and young child feeding practices. Through this programme, 536,938 children under five, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, benefited from early screening for malnutrition. Additionally, over 700,000 mothers and children were reached with essential micronutrients, and approximately 3,400 children under 5 affected by life threatening form of malnutrition received care and treatment.
These vital activities were possible because of the support of the Governments of Australia; and Canada; the European Union; the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); the Government of France through the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (FIFSAN); the Governments of Japan and Korea; The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Syria Humanitarian Fund; UNICEF National Committee for the United States; and the United States Government.
