Could you survive on food given to Syrian refugee for a week?
Reporter Noah Martin lived on a refugee ration pack for a week - here’s how she found it
IT’S hard to imagine what it is like being a refugee or asylum seeker, the people who are forced to flee their homes due to war, famine or the climate crisis among other reasons.
In an attempt to shed a little light on the difficulties that refugees face, I took part in the global Refugee Ration Pack Challenge 2020, organised by Concern Worldwide.
As part of the challenge, I had to survive on the same rations given to a Syrian refugee living in a camp in Jordan for one week - which is a daily calorie intake of less than 1,800. During the challenge, I kept a diary which you can delve into below.
DAY ONE
It’s the first day of the ration challenge and I’m feeling nervous but ready to get going. Before getting started, I make a meal plan for the week to make sure that I don’t run out of ingredients before Sunday. That would not be good.
I’m trying to stay positive about being faced with the prospect of eating only flour, rice and beans for a week. It won’t be easy, especially for someone who loves to cook food that is packed with spices and vegetables.
It’s important to remember that this challenge is about learning to empathise with the struggles that refugees face, rather than complaining about how little food we have to eat during the challenge.
Although the goal of this is not about losing weight, I weigh myself anyway and take a few measurements just to see what kind of impact the diet has on the body.
For dinner I cook rice and tofu; thankfully the rations provide a lot of white rice so it’s possible to fill up on a big bowl of rice before going to bed.
I have a choice of two breakfasts every day; either a few three-ingredient pancakes made with oil, flour and water or a bowl of rice porridge.
Lunch every day will be a bowl of plain white rice or, depending on how the week pans out, the leftovers from the night before.
And finally, the dinners on this week’s menu include; fried tofu and rice, a lentil and rice “stew”, kidney beans with rice and last but not least, chickpeas and rice.
DAY TWO
I wake up hungry but I am able to get out of bed straight away, which for someone who has to set at least four alarms every morning is a miracle. Maybe it’s the hunger that gets me up. Breakfast consists of three pancakes made with oil, flour and water which I eat before starting the day’s work, which is easy to make and tastes fine. The downside is that it doesn’t fill you up for very long and I’m hungry again within a couple of hours, but at least I’m spending the majority of that time sitting at a desk.
I am reminded that many people living in camps wake up every day in uncertain conditions and don’t have a hearty or nutritious breakfast to see them through.
DAY THREE
Breakfast is pancakes made with oil, water and flour. I had it yesterday and it was fine. I’m feeling okay, quite tired, weirdly walking up more easily this week than previously. It is difficult but it’s going okay so far.
DAY FOUR
I’ve settled into the challenge but it hasn’t been a totally easy ride, it’s hard to resist the temptation to make a cup of tea or coffee. As a self-professed caffeine addict, it takes every ounce of willpower not to click the kettle on.
One thing that stands out to me is that the diet is very monotonous and, although it provides the essentials needed to survive, the joy of cooking and eating has been taken away.
It is surprising how having so little variety in your diet can take a mental toll and I’ve noticed that at this point my morale is quite low and the blues
have set in. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to fe feel this way while also livin ing in difficult conditions in overcrowded refugee ca camps, human beings n need variety.
I eat a few pieces of le leftover tofu for lunch.
It isn’t much but if this ch challenge has highlig lighted anything, it’s that m most of us over-consume an and waste too much food in ou our daily lives.
DAY FIVE
Rice and beans. Usually on a Friday I’d be having a beer but I can’t this week. It’s just another reminder of all the little things that we take for granted in our lives. I’m feeling okay, still quite tired and lethargic but continuing to get through and keep reminding myself that I just have to keep doing this for a week, and it’s not my daily existence over a long period of time and I’m very grateful for that so, yes, happy Friday.
Last night was the first Friday in a long time that I hadn’t been able to have a beer after work. It’s a small, insignificant thing but it further highlighted how we take little luxuries in our lives for granted.
DAY SIX
I wake up feeling fresh and decide to go for a little walk. After about 30 minutes of gentle strolling, I start to feel lethargic and tired and arrive back home exhausted.
It is amazing how quickly a reduction of nutrients into your system can take an effect on your wellbeing, both mentally and physically, and I’m thankful that I will be able to eat vegetables in a couple of days.
Again, as with many days this week, I’m reminded of the hardship that many people fleeing their home countries face, which is only compounded by a lack of access to basic resources.
DAY SEVEN
It’s the final day and possibly one of the more difficult ones because Sundays are usually spent walking or watching films and indulging in a big Sunday roast.
Although that can’t happen this time, I enjoy finishing up the rest of my ingredients and feeling the satisfaction having used every bit of food with no waste.
As it’s the last day, I weigh myself again and see that I’ve lost one kilogram which I’m not surprised about. According to Concern Worldwide, the ration pack constitutes less than 1,800 calories per day.
The charity also explained that many people living in camps find innovative ways of earning money so that they can buy more food for themselves.
However, even with the extra food, refugees are still forced to survive in difficult conditions and try to earn extra money while only consuming 1,800 calories a day. It’s a huge challenge.
I’m glad that I’ve taken part in the challenge, it’s an eye opening experience and gave me a new found appreciation for all the resources I have in my life.