Baby Isra’a is finally eating

Leaving their home to escape the shelling, moving from one place to another in search of safety, has taken a toll on Aya’s whole family, especially her baby.

The 24-year-old mother, her husband and four children are now living in a settlement for displaced people in northwest Syria, staying in an unheated tent and doing what they can to stay warm and survive.

When Save the Children and their partner in Syria – Shafak – met Aya and 10-month-old Isra’a, they found that the baby had not been drinking milk for two months. Aya told them, “She has only been drinking water and tea with bread over the last 10 days.”

With support from the Humanitarian Coalition, Save the Children had established several mobile clinics in tents around the camp to provide basic healthcare and nutrition support to the residents.

They offered malnutrition screenings for infants and toddlers, counseling for pregnant and lactating women, nutritional supplements and medical referrals. The clinic staff and community health workers also provided psychological support and COVID-19 information to community members.

A staff member found Aya and Isra’a and brought them to the clinic.

When they examined Isra’a, they found that her condition required medical attention and regular follow-up. Aya was provided with complementary feeding supplements for Isra’a as well as guidance on breastfeeding.

Isra’a’s situation is now improving and Aya says she is grateful for the work of Save the Children and Shafak and the constant follow-ups with her daughter.

“Thank goodness her condition has improved greatly,” she says.