Displaced Syrians dig through hills of garbage to make a living

In areas outside al-Bab in northern Aleppo, displaced Syrians have taken to combing through large, burning mounds of waste to find materials they can sell as recyclables. The scorched heaps, set alight either intentionally or through uncontrolled fires, present immediate health and safety risks as people sort through ashes and smoldering refuse. This work has become a source of income for families who have been uprooted by the conflict. With formal employment scarce and support systems strained, scavenging recyclable materials offers one of the few available means to generate cash, however hazardous and low-paid. The rise of such informal and dangerous livelihoods is tied to the long-term collapse of economic and social infrastructure across Syria. Thirteen years of war have left millions vulnerable, with acute food insecurity affecting large segments of the population and pushing many to accept life-threatening work to survive. Humanitarian observers say scenes like those near al-Bab underscore wider challenges in the country: insufficient aid access, limited employment opportunities, and the environmental and health consequences of unmanaged waste and open burning. For displaced families, the immediate need for income and food outweighs concerns about the risks posed by working amid burning garbage.