

This is 14-year-old Hanifa Amar.
Hanifa and her family are Syrian refugees who have fled from the bloody fighting and civil unrest in their home country into neighbouring Lebanon.
They left behind their home. Members of their family have been killed.
But even though they now reside in a country where they are safe, their suffering is not over.
Hanifa’s family are no longer able to afford the monthly rent at their new home – and the landlord has threatened to evict them unless Hanifa becomes his second wife.
Hanifa will marry a 44-year-old stranger in order to protect her family.
“I am not obliged to marry a 44-year-old man,” Hanifa explained to Al Jazeera, “I am crying because of the situation we are in, but I have to do it so that my family can survive.”
“My whole life is destroyed,” she continued. “I don’t want to marry him, but if I do my family can stay in this house.”
Hanifa’s mother, Mysa, told Al Jazeera that the family had no choice.
“It is a difficult decision. Every mother wants to see her daughter secure and marry the man she loves,” she said, “No mother wants to hurt her child. But we have no choice.”
Mysa’s explanation is that if her family is forced to leave the house and move into a tent – as many refugees have – she thinks her husband, who has heart problems, and her asthmatic son will not survive. She is worried that the winter cold would kill them.

Top Comments
It would be interesting to know how they lived prior to the war. In general, females, are the most at risk in any insecure situation, whether it be war or poverty. It is sad when leaders value their own power over the security of the people they lead. I thought the picture may have been of her mother, the stress she has endured has aged the poor child, the piggish landlord is nailing one more rusty nail into her coffin.
Why is only the son working? Can't the husband or mother work as well? Or even the daughter?