Editor's Note: Action Against Hunger believes that every child – regardless of where he or she is born – should have adequate nutrition and as few obstacles as possible in their path to reaching their full potential. This article is part of our May series – Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids – celebrating Mother's Day by highlighting the strength of mothers around the world. Watch for more stories throughout the month.

"I’m afraid…of everything," says Khounav, 29, a Syrian refugee and mother. "I have nightmares all the time. It’s like I’m pregnant for the first time. I know that sounds odd, but being here I feel lost, like I’ve forgotten everything. I really need advice."

Khounav is pregnant with her much-wanted second child, but instead of enjoying the excitement of planning for the arrival of her new daughter, she is worried. Six months ago, the conflict and fighting in Syria forced the young mother, with her husband and six-year-old son, to flee their home, leaving everything behind – including their families, jobs, and way of life.

When she and her family stepped off the bus upon their arrival to an Iraqi refugee camp in the middle of nowhere, Khounav was devastated by the terrible living conditions that greeted her: a small plastic tent with no bathing or toilet facilities and very little to eat. Not long after she arrived, Khounav discovered she was pregnant.

Even under normal circumstances, pregnancy can be a daunting experience, but being pregnant in a refugee camp with no home, clothes, or money, and the nearest hospital miles away, is a situation that no young woman should have to face.

Compassion and care in a time of need

Desperate for help, Khounav is comforted by visits from Action Against Hunger’s  psychosocial specialists, who regularly visit her tent to help her deal with trauma, stress, and anxiety. They provide expert help and a friendly face – people in whom she can confide her worries. 

Her biggest fear is giving birth in the camp, far from her family and good, modern medical facilities. 

"In Damascus I had a great obstetrician, but here, I don’t know the camp doctor. I’m afraid of the pain and who will look after my baby if anything goes wrong," she says. "Last week I fell and was in terrible pain. Naturally, I was very worried about the baby so I went to see the doctor, but he sent me home without doing a scan or anything. We don’t speak the same language. It made me feel so isolated. There is a Syrian doctor in the camp, but all the pregnant women want him to look after them and he is overwhelmed. I really hope my baby is okay."

"I had a great life before"

Khounav’s meetings with Action Against Hunger's staff member Suzanne are a highlight in her week, giving her a chance to share her experiences and get help to cope with her worries and anxiety, and sometimes just to reminisce about her old life in Syria. 

"I love it when Suzanne visits. It gives me the chance to get advice and information on what I need to do when the baby comes. I had a great life before," recalls Khounav. "I had a beautiful home, life was good. I used to work in a food company where my husband was a supervisor."

Today, her husband does odd jobs from time to time but has no steady work, which he finds very difficult. Being fairly new to the camp, the family has no money and rely on their neighbors’ kindness to dress their son and donate clothes for their soon-to-arrive baby. 

"Everything is difficult here. I even sewed up the bottom of the tent to keep out scorpions and snakes. I’m scared of fires too, there have been some recently," she says. "And there are lots of attacks here. The people are aggressive. My husband doesn’t say anything, but he knows what I’m going through. He’s not happy either, but he copes with it all better than me."

Khounav is also concerned about her young son, Aras, and has told her social worker that getting him into school would greatly alleviate her stress.

Recently, the family’s living conditions have improved. They now live in a new raised tent with electricity and individual toilet facilities. Recently an air conditioning unit was installed, which makes life tolerable when temperatures soar to 50°C (more than 120°F). 

When Khounav had her first child, her mother was at her side throughout, but this time there is no guarantee any of her family will be there to help. Fortunately, part of Action Against Hunger's psychosocial team’s scope of work is to support pregnant women like Khounav so that they are not alone when they have their babies. They continue their support visits once the baby is born, and will be there to hold Khounav’s hand through one of the most precious and most vulnerable times of her life. 

We are committed to helping Syrian refugees overcome crisis, both physically and emotionally. Our mental health interventions provide families, including new mothers and pregnant women, with critical tools to empower them to triumph over loss and devastation, finding a pathway to hope and a better life.