More than six months have passed since Khalil Othman, 37, began looking for a job in Cairo to cover his family's expenses.

Othman's family fled to Egypt from Syria after their house in Homs collapsed due to constant Syrian army shelling of the city.

Khalil, a secondary school teacher in Syria, told Al-Shorfa he is living with two other families in a house in 6th of October City until he can find a job that provides him with a monthly income.

Khalil's situation is not unique. Many other Syrian refugees fled the violence in their homeland and were displaced to neighbouring countries, including Egypt.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that there may be about 150,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt, most of whom reside in the cities of Cairo and Alexandria, and some who reside in other provinces, including al-Daqahliyah, Kafr el-Sheikh, al-Gharbiyah, Port Said, Suez and Ismailiya.

Of these 150,000 refugees, only 4,800 have registered with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), according to a report released by the agency in early October.

The report also said that about 30 % of registered Syrian refugees are children under the age of 17, while 15 % are university students.

The two most pressing problems these refugees face are housing and access to jobs, activists and refugees told Al-Shorfa.

"From time to time, relief organisations carry out campaigns to register Syrian families with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]," said Marina Ali, a refugee relief volunteer with the Al-Shareyah Islamic Association, a non-profit organisation.

"Recently, Catholic Relief Services in co-operation with local organisations carried out registration campaigns in cities where refugees are concentrated," she said.

According to Ali, displacement costs each Syrian family an average of 15,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,456).

"The biggest problem they initially face is housing, and many civil society organisations are trying to solve the problem by renting [entire] residential buildings at their own expense to house Syrian families," she said.
Life as a refugee in Egypt

Hayat Saleh, a mother in a family of six that was displaced from Homs in August, said her family had no option but to share a residence with another family because rent in Egypt is steadily rising.

"Six months from now, we will not able to pay the rent because my husband is not working and we have no income," she told Al-Shorfa.

Salah Saqr, a realtor in 6th of October City, said real estate prices have almost doubled since the end of last year due to increasing number of Syrian refugees.

"A two-bedroom apartment that rented for 1,000 to 1,500 pounds ($164-$246) before the Syrian revolution now rents for 2,000 to 2,500 pounds ($327-$409)," he said.

Some displaced Syrians said they believe taking refuge in Egypt is better than resorting to other countries in the region.

According to Anas Mahmoud, living conditions are better in Egypt than they are in many other countries, "especially since Syrian refugees in Egypt are not forced to live in camps outside the cities. There is also the fact that visas are not required for movement between Egypt and Syria."

Mahmoud, who came to Egypt with his wife and daughter, said most Syrians are currently able to obtain temporary residence, and some relief agencies provide some families with monthly financial assistance.

"My real problem is that I have been looking for a job since May and what remains of the money I brought with me from Syria will only cover two more months," he said.

The Arab Medical Union's Emergency and Relief Agency is one of the relief organisations that provide a number of Syrian families in Egypt with monthly financial aid ranging between 500 ($82) and 1,000 pounds ($164).

Umm Hazem, whose house in Rif Dimashq was destroyed in the Syrian conflict, fled to Cairo with her husband and three of her children.

She told Al-Shorfa her family receives 1,000 pounds per month from the Arab Medical Union and since one of her sons was able to find a job at a pharmacy in 6th of October City, "this covers the rest of the expenses".

Dr. Saleh al-Dasouqi, rapporteur of the Arab Medical Union's agency, said his agency is currently providing material and medical assistance to 1,700 Syrian families in Egypt.

"The relief agency spends two million pounds ($327,400) per month on rent for the housing it provides these refugees," he said.

Syrian refugees sometimes have difficulty finding schooling for their children, according to al-Dasouqi.

The Egyptian government has taken steps to solve this problem, "but the number of refugees is rising by the day", he said.
Treated on equal terms

In September, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi issued a decree requiring that Syrian students be treated on equal terms with Egyptian students in regard to tuition, and facilitating their entry into schools.

Some more well-to-do refugees have begun to plan for an extended stay in Egypt, investing the money they managed to bring with them.

Salman Naanou, from the city of Aleppo, opened a Syrian shawarma restaurant in Cairo's Nasr City district.

Naanou, who currently employs three other Syrians, told Al-Shorfa, "I wanted to set up a business that provides me with a steady income and at the same time helps some refugees find employment."

Meanwhile, Assem Awni opted to stick with the craft he has plied for the past ten years: making what he describes as Syrian-style curtains.

"Egyptians and all Arabs [in general] love Syrian textiles and curtains," he told Al-Shorfa. "So, my brother and I decided to open a small workshop to make and embroider curtains, even though we certainly do not have the raw materials [and fabrics] we worked with in the past."

Awni said he currently has a "respectable number of customers", in particular brides who are getting married in upcoming months.