Syrians in Lebanon: We Work for Bread Only

Syrian Turkmen in Lebanon are living under harsh circumstances, as the country's economy continues its downfall, according to Syria TV.

On Thursday, an Anatolia news agency report highlighted the difficult living conditions of Syrians of Turkmen origin who had been displaced from Syria because of the war and had settled in various parts of Lebanon.

Scores of Syrians and their families, who were forced to leave their country due to the ongoing war, are trying to salvage their lives in Lebanon under very difficult circumstances, the report said.

One of those families is the Hamo family, which has two children and lives in a two-room house in the Nabaa district of Beirut — one of the city’s poorest areas.

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The narrow lanes of the Nabaa district are filled with crisscrossing power lines; houses there are built in an overlapping and unregulated manner; and the streets, covered with garbage, are extremely old and neglected.

Three families sharing one house

Mohammed Hamo, 26, told Anatolia that Lebanon’s economic crisis has made living conditions more difficult for families, with average rents having grown high.

“We had to live in this small house, 12 people because rent prices have become too high,” said Hamou, who works as a shoe polisher on Beirut’s streets.

Hammou’s family left the Turkmen-majority town of Haydariyah, in Aleppo governorate, two years ago. As the father figure, Mohammed tries to make a living for his family by polishing shoes, but the money he receives is not enough.

“I am a Syrian from Aleppo and a Turkmen. I have been living in Lebanon for two years. I have two daughters — one who is 6 years old and the other is 5 years old. I work in dyeing and polishing shoes, and my wife and daughters collect paper waste from garbage.”

“We only work for money to cover rent, electricity, and water. We strive for every piece of bread that we eat. Sometimes I earn 30,000 or 40,000 Lebanese lira a day; sometimes I make 50,000 Lebanese lira (about 20 Turkish Lira).”

 

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.

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