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NameHiba and Adel
Gendern
Country of OriginSyrian Arab Republic
Destination CountryTurkey
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Hiba and Adel are a newlywed couple living in a small single room apartment in a well-known refugee neighbourhood in Gaziantep, Turkey. Adel, 26, used to work as a chef in Raqqa before coming to Turkey 1.5 years ago. I always loved to cook. When I was a kid I would always help out my parents and relatives in the kitchen. When I got older, I started to work in kitchens in restaurants, says Adel. I knew early on that I wanted to open up a restaurant of my own. Things changed for him quickly once ISIL came and took over Raqqa. It was not too bad at first, but once they gained control of the city they began closing down all of the shops. Thats how I lost my job and couldnt make more money. After that things got much worse. Then they started the public executions and beheadings. I cant even remember how many people I saw killed in front of me. It got to the point that all the good memories I had living there were ruined by the horrors that I saw there. I left the city while I still had the chance to do so. Hiba, 24, was a nursing student in Aleppo when the war began. Her love for medicine began at an early age when she would spend time helping out in a medical laboratory and maternity clinic. Im fascinated by the whole subject. I really do hope to be able to finish what I started one day so I can work as a nurse. As the war raged on in Aleppo, Hiba and her family eventually fled to Gaziantep nine months ago. While living in Turkey, their families eventually crossed paths and their marriage was arranged. I was so nervous when I first met him. I knew nothing about him, laughs Hiba. Adel also recounts nervous jitters when he first met his wife-to-be I knew that we didnt have to marry if we didnt like each other when we met but once I set my eyes on her I knew she was the one. Happily in love, the two had a modest ceremony with close family members, all of whom were from Hibas family. I have no family here, my family is still trapped in Raqqa and I havent heard from them in months. Now they face a new problem together; finding affordable housing. I used to work here in a local restaurant in Gaziantep but the owner was not paying me very much and gradually started paying me me less and less until he simply stopped. I couldnt keep working like that. As they struggle with paying the rent with no work, IOM has been providing the couple with rental assistance. The help is greatly appreciated. It has given us some time to breathe and my husband to find new work and I can find a way to resume my studies.

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