Zahy Al Melhim (31) with his wife Nisreen Metleg (31) and their children Kenan (6), Lilyan (7) & Yousef (1.7 mnths) sheltering in a small apartment in Russeifa, 15km NW of of the capital Amman, Jordan having fled their home in Babr Amr, a district of Homs, a town north of the Syrian capital Damascus.
Zahy, a blacksmith by trade, and his family fled Babr Amr after their home was destroyed by bombing and fighting. Zahy was injured by shrapnel whilst looking for food and was then shot 3 times in the same leg by snipers shortly. They once led a comfortable life with a good business, car and house. They left with nothing and now try and survive in Jordan.
(Full Video interview and transcript available. A4Pint_ZahyMelhim130429 ).
The Syrian conflict, which started as an uprising against the government of President Bashar Al-Assad, started in March 2011 and has led to over one million Syrians fleeing their country. Jordan is host to over 500,000 refugees, the vast majority of which have sought shelter within urban areas in host communities in Jordan. There are also three refugee camps, with the main camp of Zaatari holding over 120,000 people and increasing daily. The situation escalated in 2013 with over 2,000 people a day crossing the border into Jordan