Rasha admits that despite having spent so much time "around aircraft" due to her personal and family history, she still gets a "heart flutter" whenever she sees a plane take to the skies.

"Being here never gets boring," she added.

Rasha began working as an Aviation Assistant for the World Food Programme's (WFP) UNHAS team at Qamishli airport in Syria's northeast early last year. She'd spent the previous seven years working in commercial aviation.

The young woman's fascination with airports dates back to her childhood.

"My mum worked for 35 years at the same airport." She was dressed in her silver uniform with a white shirt and a silky maroon scarf nicely knotted around her neck," she remembered.

Rasha was particularly attracted by her mother's devotion.

"Because Qamishli is not a luxurious airport, it lacks comfort and catering services, missing your flight and having to spend the night here can be stressful." "I wanted to be like my mother, who helped everyone she met unconditionally and to the best of her ability," she added.

The war lines in Syria have altered drastically over the years, making it dangerous to travel between Damascus and the two northern governorates of Qamishli and Aleppo.

For UN employees and humanitarian workers, flying between the capital and the country's north became the most practical option.

With domestic airlines further affected by the COVID pandemic, UNHAS's start in Syria in 2020 has provided a vital link between employees and the people it serves, reducing a 16-hour drive to a one-hour flight.

"Without UNHAS, humanitarian workers would have had a difficult time reaching families in need," Rasha added.