Ever since we got here

“Ever since we got here”

That’s the most common response when I ask “how long have you had these symptoms?”

That could be 10 days or 3 months. But since they arrived in Za’atari.

Their dusty faces blend together into one composite patient.

Rash-ha oo gaha oo skhoun – cold and cough and fever

Ma binoum bilail – he doesn’t sleep at night

byibki oo byibki – he cries and cries

Is-hal, harara – diarrhea and fever

Waja’a oo doude – pain and worms

Al-lozat? Fi shi anshan al-lozat? – My tonsils/lymph nodes? Is there anything for them?

There’s medicine for the tonsils. But no medicines to treat worms. We saw at least five people yesterday with worms and had nothing to give them.