A Day in the Life: Za'atari - Episode 8: Coping mechanisms

3,902 views · Published 18 November 2013 · 5:00 · Indexed 6 November 2026

Channel: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2013 · News & Politics

Watch on YouTube

"What do the children know about what's going on in Syria? They're just trying to survive." 

Andrew reveals the refugees' harrowing route from Syria into Jordan. Cracks show in Kilian's defenses as he walks out of a child's hospital appointment.

--

Welcome to Za'atari, the temporary home for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. Just over a year ago it was a stretch of barren desert. Now it's a bustling metropolis with bakeries, hardware stores and rotisserie chicken stands. It's also a place of colliding visions: the camp imagined by the UNHCR planners and their Jordanian partners, and the camp shaped by the Syrians who must call it their temporary home.

This documentary series opens an unprecedented window into the camp, revealing the everyday dramas of delivering water, keeping the lights on and moving 200 families a day from tents into pre-fabs. In 15 fly-on-the-wall episodes, we follow frontline aid workers as they strive to support and sustain the residents of this remarkable makeshift city.

Read more on UNHCR: http://rfg.ee/qH0zq 
Watch UNHCR reports on the Syrian crisis: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL587DEB510E8CB629

Information for media: 
If you would like to use this video to communicate refugee stories or require B-Roll, transcripts, stills or much more information, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected].

--

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, works to protect and assist those fleeing war and persecution. Since 1950, we have helped tens of millions of people find safety and rebuild their lives. With your support, we can restore hope for many more.

Read more at http://UNHCR.org

Support our work with refugees now by subscribing to this channel, liking this video and sharing it with your friends and contacts. Thanks so much for your help.

More from this channel