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Taher

a Medical student makes his own path
Taher using a tablet device
In their words - Taher

Taher is from Idlib, known for olive oil and the warmth of its people.

“When you are in the middle of the city, the aroma of pastries and mint fills the air and you can smell it from afar.”

He remembers walking through the souk (a bazaar) during Ramadan with his brother and father. There were so many people on the street. The scene was lively. The memory plays over and over in his head, motivation to reach days of peace in the future.

Before the conflict, he remembers going on family trips to a beautiful blue lake, where it was cool and refreshing. They would barbeque, listen to music, take photos, and relax.
After the conflict started, things just didn’t work anymore.
Before the conflict, he remembers going on family trips to a beautiful blue lake, where it was cool and refreshing. They would barbeque, listen to music, take photos, and relax.
After the conflict started, things just didn’t work anymore.
In 2015, Taher realized he couldn’t pursue his studies in Idlib. He tried to continue in Turkey, but he finally set his sights on making it to Europe, and specifically Germany.
Taher likes to write to express his thoughts.
We fled from the war zones...
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from the areas where life was no longer possible ...

From the areas where a warm bed and normal living conditions could no longer be found ...

Damascus, Douma. Children in a destroyed building - Ammar Saboh, 2019

two children holding hands walking up stairs surrounded by rubble

Damascus, Douma. Children in a destroyed building - Ammar Saboh, 2019

I wanted to prove myself that I could do it.  I wanted to take my own path, no matter how hard it may seem.
Taher

On the journey to Germany, Taher thought a lot about how to take the next step without fear. He tried to feel a sense of community, of being on the same team, of sharing the same goal with those around him.

And from the moment he left, he gained a new perspective on life.

He saw the world differently than it was in Syria.

Taher studying at a deskA photograph of TaherA photograph of Taher father as a surgeonTaher using an ipad to facetime
Taher’s great grandfather was a general practitioner and his father is a surgeon.
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When he was still a child, he saw the way his father interacted with patients, the warmth and humanity he brought to his practice regardless of who the patients were.
Taher now wants to take the same path and is studying hard to become a doctor.
a screenshot of Taher's video from yoututbe
Taher runs a YouTube channel where he helps other Arabic speakers learn German.

He wishes to reach Germans as well, to share his culture, the warmth, the values, and what the Syrian people are like.
Germany is far from home and Taher misses his family – especially his mom and dad. He doesn’t know what Idlib really looks like now, or what it might look like in the future, which is scary.
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Despite the difficulties and the loneliness, Taher keeps looking ahead.
I’m always positive because I have hope, the kind of hope that will never die.
a portrait of Taher smiling
Taher
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About ICRC
Established in 1863, the ICRC operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We are based in Geneva, Switzerland, and employ over 20,000 people in more than 80 countries. The ICRC is funded mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Syria is the ICRC’s largest operation in the world. In cooperation with its local partner, the SARC, the ICRC assists communities with healthcare, mental health, economic security, water and habitat, as well as protection and prevention work. Visit our website to know more about our work in Syria and beyond.
The data featured on this website are based on a survey of 1,400 Syrians aged 18 to 25, of whom 800 live in Syria, 400 in Lebanon and 200 in Germany. The age range was chosen to represent individuals whose adolescence and early adulthood have been deeply marked by the conflict. The country locations were selected to ensure a variety of respondents in different situations.
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