When Syrians took to the streets back in March 2011 to protest the ruling government, they could not have imagined the horrific events that would soon follow. Since then, Syria has fallen into an intense civil conflict that has already forced over 1.89 million people to flee the country, and displaced millions more within Syria. Innocent lives have been lost and families have gone from living relatively comfortable lives to living in poverty and hunger in what is currently one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world.
“They burned our houses and we left carrying nothing – no money, no food, no clothing,” states Aamil*, a Syrian refugee now living in neighboring Jordan. “We only had the things that we were wearing, that’s all.”
Aamil and his family arrived in Jordan and initially tried to find refuge in the sprawling Za’atri camp that has been set up to accommodate the overwhelming number of refugees crossing the border. They soon realized that the camp wouldn’t enable them to meet the various medical needs of their son, who has Down syndrome.
“The conditions were very harsh in Za’atri,” he explained. “We couldn’t live there so we left Za’atri and came to this house.”
Today, they and four other families are squeezed together in a 3-bedroom apartment in Irbid. The adults seek out jobs every day and occasionally get hired to do casual jobs as day laborers. Together, these five families have been able to cobble together enough money to pay rent and get enough food to feed their children, but it isn’t easy and they aren’t sure how long they’ll be able to continue.
Unfortunately, they are not alone. In Jordan there are many families like Aamil’s who are not able to remain in the UN-managed refugee camp due to health problems, security concerns, or lack of available services. In fact, about 70% of the refugees arriving in Jordan are living outside the camp, where they can sometimes wait months before they receive any sort of international assistance.
In total, over 6,000 people in Jordan will be assisted with emergency food relief packages and psycho-social care.
World Renew has been responding to the ongoing conflict in Syria since 2012 by providing food, shelter and other emergency assistance to refugee families in Lebanon and displaced families within Syria. As the civil war continues, World Renew has recognized the need to expand this response into Jordan as well where local organizations and churches are overwhelmed with trying to meet the needs of families like Aamil’s.
Through a recent $1.1 million commitment from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) World Renew is now able to meet this need. It is starting a new project that will assist Syrian families when they initially arrive in Jordan and will provide for their needs while they await registration for more long-term international humanitarian assistance. The project will also provide food to poor and vulnerable Jordanian families living in the city whose lives have been hurt by the dramatic increase of new refugee families, sky-rocketing rents, and competition for jobs.
“Though there is food available in local markets and stores, these households do not have sufficient funds or resources to pay for both their rent and the food they require to stay healthy,” explains Ken Little, World Renew Senior Project Manager.
Thanks to additional funding from ZOA International, the World Renew project in Jordan will also provide psycho-social support for 100 Syrian women.
“Many of these refugees have witnessed violence and may also have been direct victims of torture or other abuses” explains Wayne de Jong, Director of Disaster Response for World Renew. “The aim of the psycho-social support workshops is to provide women with hope and practical knowledge in dealing with trauma, grief and loss.”
In total, over 6,000 people in Jordan will be assisted with emergency food relief packages and psycho-social care.
Your prayers and support continue to be urgently needed. With no foreseeable end to the fighting in the near future, UN experts expect the number of refugees and displaced people will continue to increase.
