For years, Maha* carried the invisible weight of war. The mother from Taftanaz, a town in Idlib governorate, survived repeated displacement, financial hardship, and the constant fear that accompanied conflict. While her family eventually found a place to settle, the emotional scars endured.
“I lost confidence in myself,” Maha recalls. “The pressure was overwhelming. Every day was about surviving, taking care of my children, and trying to keep our family together.”
Everything began to change when she joined activities at the Women and Girls Safe Space (WGSS), a facility operated by Relief International with the support of the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF).
A place to begin healing
Tasnim Thiab, Relief InternationalI's Psychosocial Support Assistant, facilitates group-based psychosocial support for women in Idlib. Photo: Frontline in Focus.
Maha participated in group psychosocial support sessions designed to help women regain confidence, manage stress, and strengthen emotional resilience.
“The sessions reminded me that I also matter,” she says. “For the first time in years, I started thinking about my own wellbeing, not only my family’s.”
As staff members assessed Maha’s needs, they connected her with additional medical support through the project’s referral system — demonstrating how health, protection, and psychosocial services work in tandem to meet a range of interconnected needs. Her children also received psychosocial support, helping the entire family recover together.
“Today, I feel stronger,” Maha says. “My children have changed too. Our home is calmer, and we have hope again,” says Maha.
Connecting people to the support they need
According to Tasnim Thiab, Relief International’s Psychosocial Support Assistant, Maha’s story reflects the reality facing women throughout the region.
"Many women come to us after experiencing years of displacement, domestic violence, psychological distress, or limited access to essential services," she explains. "Our role is not only to provide counselling but also to identify every need a person may have."
By integrating different services — health, nutrition, legal, and case management — into one referral system, Relief International is helping to direct community members to specialized support, depending on their unique circumstances.
This integrated approach also supports families whose needs first land them in health facilities. Yasser* experienced this when his young daughter developed severe acute malnutrition after years of displacement.
Yasser's daughters received specialised care for acute malnutrition in Idlib thanks to referral services managed by Relief International and supported by the Syria Humanitarian Fund. Photo: Frontline in Focus.
“Our family lost everything during the war,” he says. “When my daughter became sick, we were referred to Taftanaz Hospital where specialized nutrition services were available.”
Although reaching the hospital required long and costly travel, the referral ensured Yasser’s daughter received the medical attention she needed.
"Her condition improved significantly," he says. "Without these services, her recovery would have been much more difficult," Yasser says.
The impact of integrated services
Dr. Ahmad Hamad, a pediatrician at Al Rahma Hospital, explains that nutrition treatment is only one component of a broader response supported by the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
“Every child is assessed not only medically, but also for nutritional, psychological, and protection needs,” he says. “Children with severe malnutrition receive specialized care, while those requiring additional services are referred through established pathways.”
Dr. Ahmad Hamad, a pediatrician, supports healthcare delivery at Al Rahma Hospital. Photo: Frontline in Focus.
He believes this coordination is essential.
"A child's recovery depends on much more than medicine. Health, nutrition, protection, and psychosocial wellbeing are closely connected. When these services work together, families receive the support they truly need."
Thanks to support from the Syria Humanitarian Fund, Relief International is providing integrated health, nutrition, and protection services across Northern Syria. Together these services are helping families to cope with recent hardship and to rebuild foundations for a healthier future.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of those supported.
