As the focus on Syrians fleeing to Europe has turned to the issues being created in Europe, the personal stories of those escaping Syria often get overshadowed.
Especially, the stories of those caught between Syria and Europe -- in the refugee camps of neighbouring countries like Jordan.
Those countries are stretched to breaking point in trying to cope with the flood of refugees and asylum seekers.
In 2015, Iman Riman from SBS Radio's Arabic program visited one of the refugee camps in Lebanon and listened to the stories of the Syrian women and children there.
This is the conclusion of her two-part series.
75-year-old Mary came to Lebanon during Ramadan 2014 to visit her family in the camp.
She could not go back to Syria because of the fighting.
Now, she has been living with her son in a shared tent for more than a year.
The dream for her has become to get her own tent.
(Translated) "I'm living with my son and his family now, but I want a tent for myself. I'll be more comfortable by myself. Looks like the situation is going to last long."
Mary used to live with her daughter in her own house in Syria before they had to separate.
(Translated) "My daughter went to Syria but couldn't return here." ("Why?") "Because they closed the road." ("Are you worried about her?") "Yes, I'm worried. She ended up with her sister in Turkey. Yes, I'm worried -- she's a girl."
Mary would love to go back to her own house in Syria, but there isn't one anymore.
(Translated)"My concern is that we want to go back to our place but everything's gone."
Amina also wants to go back to her home country when the situation settles.
Despite the dangers, she says she would go back to Syria if the air strikes stopped.
(Translated)"Yes, we will live in a tent, in place of the ruined house. We clean the ruins, we put a tent, and we live there. I am hoping they implement a no-fly zone so people can return to their homes. When they stop the air strikes, we will go back, we have no problem at all. People can cultivate their land, can take care of their animals for living. Syrians are resourceful, we can make do. We haven't lived a luxury life before to refuse any other type of living. A tent will suffice. But it's much better than living in misery and being humiliated and degraded like this."
While Lebanon provides temporary safety, the refugees also face psychological and emotional pressure.
Amina is one of the many Syrians who complain of feeling some Lebanese look down on them.
(Translated)"Every day, throughout Lebanon, you face a million incidents of this. They call our kids 'you gypsies.' Our kids came from schools, well-cultured. I can show you their school pictures in Syria. Now, whenever a Lebanese child comes across them, he calls them 'you gypsies, you gypsies!' Now, we have become less than gypsies, may God help us."
Asked about mixing with the local population, Amina says they prefer to stay in the camp.
(Translated)"We are so isolated from the people, but we still get our living needs. We get that from the town -- bread, food ..." (Question: "As women, do you go shopping, for a walk?") "We are not allowed to go and mingle." (Question: "Why?") "There's a curfew on Syrians in the evening. And as women, we are all isolated here. The Lebanese treat the Syrians with disgust. They don't respect the Syrians at all. Therefore, we are by ourselves. We don't mix with anyone."
The situation can get even worse.
The landowner where the tents are erected wants them to evacuate the land.
Amina says the landowner is concerned the refugees may stay there endlessly, as happened with Palestinian refugees.
(Translated) "She's been told that we will be like the Palestinians, we won't leave in 60 years. That's her main reason to evacuate us from her land. We haven't done anything wrong. We did what she asked us for. So far, about six or seven families have left. See, their old places ... she forced them to undo their tents, one by one. We are hoping that someone will help us in a new camp, all of us together."
She says living as a refugee in a camp does not shield the Syrian refugees in Lebanon from worrying about family members in Syria, too -- and those who fled to Turkey.
(Translated) "We have relatives there, and we send them money, whatever we can save, $50, $60. We also send money to my sister-in-law in Syria whose husband was killed. She has small children. She can't leave them to go and buy bread for them. When they have been attacked by air strikes, she took them and left to Turkey. She's living in a camp. We save money and collect donations from each other to send her so she can raise her children there."
And refugees can leave their homes, but the memories are even more difficult to leave behind.
Amina remembers a neighbour.
(Translated) "My neighbour in Syria had seven kids, she was killed. She was cooking for her children when she was hit by a barrel (bomb). Her children were injured, and she got shrapnel in her head, which killed her. We cried a lot."
In light of the refugee crisis in Europe, Lebanon has taken about 1.2 million Syrians.
Ellie is a relief worker for an NGO, or nongovernment organisation.
(Translated)"There's lots of pain and suffering. People are needy, people are sad. Whatever you give them, they are sad. The UN is giving a lot of help and aid, but the number of the displaced people is very high. The number of people who are registered with the UN is 1.2 million, other than those who are not registered."
For Amina, complaining about the situation is just as humiliating as living in the camp.
She says she just hopes for a better future, with the help of those who would offer a hand.
(Translated)"What can I say? We are Muslims. We say, 'Complaining to anyone but God is degrading.' You see. You ask me to tell you about my conditions, but we don't demand anything from anyone. Our conditions are now well-known to everyone. Who wants to help us or minimise our sufferings will be rewarded by God. We pray, we fast, and will pray for them to ease their problems, too. That's our belief. That's what we live by. We don't like to complain."
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