Starting again at home
Funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF), UNICEF provides flexible cash assistance to vulnerable families rebuilding their lives
Al-Najih, rural Dar’a - “One year ago, we came back home,” said Al-Mahdi, 51, who returned with his family to Al-Najih village in rural Dar’a after 13 years of displacement in Jordan.
Al-Mahdi lives with his wife and seven children, two of whom attend university. During their years in Jordan, he took on different jobs, including construction, blacksmithing and farming, to provide for his family. They spent their final years in Za’atari camp before returning to Syria in 2025.
Back in Al-Najih, the family found their home destroyed. Al-Mahdi used their savings to rebuild it, but finding a stable source of income remained difficult. Like many families in the village, they relied largely on seasonal agricultural work and daily wages.
Years of physically demanding work took a toll on Al-Mahdi’s health, eventually requiring emergency back surgery. Unable to work afterwards, he struggled to provide for his family as debts mounted.
“I reached a point where I could no longer provide even the most basic needs for my family, despite my eldest son working during the summer to help us.”
Three months ago, Al-Mahdi’s family was registered for a UNICEF cash transfer programme funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF). A UNICEF-supported mobile team visited the family at home as part of door-to-door registration, helping eligible families access cash assistance and decide how best to meet their most pressing needs.
“When they told me I would receive the cash transfer, I felt some of the pressure lift.”
Through the programme, eligible families receive a US$300 cash transfer, giving them the flexibility to prioritise their household needs.
For Al-Mahdi, the assistance came at a critical time. After months of financial pressure, it gave him the chance to catch his breath and focus again on his family’s needs.
“I paid all my debts. I bought food for the house and other urgent supplies. I also gave some pocket money to my youngest children.”
Supporting his children’s education remains one of Al-Mahdi’s greatest priorities. The assistance helped the family prepare for the school year while easing some of the immediate financial pressure on the household.
While the family continues to face challenges, the assistance has helped ease some of the pressures that had weighed heavily on them.
“I dream of the day when I see all my children graduate from university and live a decent life. Education is the only way to secure their future.”
In Al-Najih, where many families are rebuilding their lives after displacement while relying on uncertain seasonal work, flexible cash assistance helps families address their most urgent needs with dignity and choice. For Al-Mahdi and his family, the assistance has reduced some of the pressure of starting over, giving them a little more room to breathe and look ahead.
Between June and September 2026, funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF), UNICEF reached more than 10,000 households across eight governorates in Syria, including Hama, Aleppo, As-Sweida, Rural Damascus, Dar’a, Quneitra, Deir-ez-Zor and Lattakia, with cash assistance to help vulnerable families meet their most pressing needs as they work to rebuild their lives.
