"This Damn War!"

Family Dynamics and Resilience at Za'atari Camp in Jordan.

Abstract

Jordan is one of the countries most affected by the Syrian crisis, as it hosts the second-highest percentage of refugees per capita globally. In the aftermath of the Syrian crisis, 1.3 million refugees arrived in Jordan, but only about 740,000 are officially registered with the UNHCR. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, new refugee camps have been established to house the people who have fled. In the twelfth year of the crisis, many still live far from their homes, and in these camps initially established as emergency shelters. Za'atari is the largest and best-known of the northern Jordanian camps near the Syrian border. Since its establishment in 2012, Za'atari camp has become a symbol of the displacement of Syrians throughout the Middle East and now houses around 82,500 people. As part of a qualitative study, we interviewed 30 families who have lived in Za’atari camp for over ten years. It was to find out what life is like for them today, what each individual’s vision of the future is, and what their ideas are for making these visions a reality within their families. Among the families were also couples who have opted for a polygamous way of life. The family of Ali Aymar with his two wives Lina and Reem is one such case. This article is about reconstructing the life story of this family in its familial contexts. In a polygamous constellation, in which not only two, but three families of origin are interconnected, more complex questions or problems arise that affect everyday survival in a camp situation. The Aymar family is not an isolated case, neither within the camp nor outside. Karasapan (2017) assumes that polygamy has increased both within Syria and among displaced populations. The case shows how essential it is to have background knowledge of the complexity of such polygamous constellations during counseling sessions in the camps. Only in this way can a joint search for feasible options take place during the mediation process when diverging ideas arise, so that the future aspirations of the individuals do not become unrealistic dreams.