Palestinian-Syrian refugee Rana Hamida joins Oxfam's Ration Challenge

Life in a war zone isn't just about the struggle to find food, medicine or even a safe way to get around.

It's about keeping hope alive when it feels that nothing will change and no one in the outside world cares, according to Palestinian-Syrian refugee Rana Hamida.

The 26-year-old, who came to New Zealand five years ago as a refugee, is one of thousands taking part in Oxfam's Ration Challenge.

The challenge, in which participants fundraise for refugees around the world by eating refugee rations for a week, begins next Sunday.

Hamida, whose father was a Palestinian refugee in 1948, was living in the Syrian city of Aleppo when a peaceful uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in 2011 escalated into civil war. More than 350,000 have died.

Children walk in the outskirts of al-Bab, northern Syria, last month. Photo / AP / Lefteris Pitarakis

Life quickly became very hard, said Hamida, now a student at Auckland University.

Food and fuel prices skyrocketed, it was hard to know who to trust and bombs began falling.

"It became really scary. If you don't die from a bomb, you are starving. You're paying everything to get food and medication for your family."

It became really scary. If you don't die from a bomb, you are starving. You're paying everything to get food and medication for your family.

Rana Hamida

When a neighbour's home was bombed, Hamida and her parents fled, eventually to Egypt.

They were fortunate to have family outside Syria who helped them get out of Syria and eventually come to New Zealand.

Others weren't so lucky, she said.

Palestinian-Syrian refugee Rana Hamida, who now lives in Auckland, will survive on refugee rations for a week as part of Oxfam New Zealand's Ration Challenge. Photo / Doug Sherring

For her, the Ration Challenge wasn't just about raising money for food and medicine, but also to show those suffering they were not forgotten.

"People over there, just like I thought when I was there, you think you are in that state forever and there's no way to get out. It's very hard to keep up hope.

"[I want them to know] there are people here for you. You are not alone."

• More information at rationchallenge.org.nz