Relief Assistance for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

On March 31, 2018, JEN concluded the support activities in Za’atari refugee camp. We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all the supporters.

In 2012, when the Syrian crisis occurred, JEN started emergency assistance in Jordan, where receives refugees fled from Syria. We also start supporting the host communities where accept refugees.

The number of people who evacuate to the camp near the border with Syria has increased day by day, and the population who was initially under 20,000 at the beginning was increased up to 130,000 people in a few months. It was indeed the emergency situation. After that, the activities continued to modify according to the needs.

Initially, the main activities were distribution of goods at the reception center (refugee registration place) and improvement of hygiene environment. We carried out various activities such as installation of laundry area, promotion activities to promote hygiene knowledge, awareness raising activities of water saving, installation and management of public toilets and water storage tanks, cleaning in camps, maintenance of water supply and sewerage systems and so on.

The Syrian crisis has prolonged, even in refugee camps, management with a mid- to long-term perspective has become a major issue. International organizations including JEN have worked more than ever on camp infrastructure development and community building support activities. The media project targeted at young people and cooperative activities targeting women were the activities we have done so that each one finds a meaning of life and takes the first step of self-reliant in the long-lived camp life.

These activities, supported and developed on the ground, were our local staff and volunteers from the residents who proactively participated. We would like to thank them for their dedicated contributions.

Links:

• JEN Official Web Site

The other day, I had an opportunity to visit a family in Za'atari camp as part of our assistance for vulnerable households. The family consists of an elderly couple and their four daughters. The father has physical disability and suffers from mental stress so that he is not able to work and earn income. The four daughters are all grown up but one girl’s legs are paralyzed and cannot walk on her own. 

When I visited them and began our conversation, at first the family members seemed a bit nervous and were not very talkative. But at some turn of the conversation, I found that the paralyzed girl does knitting as a hobby. The young lady refused shyly with a small smile at our requests to show her pieces, but after several attempts from our side, she brought out her work. And to our surprise, her work was beautiful!

 “Wow! Such beautiful colors. I can’t believe this is all handmade!” I was simply astonished and impressed by the quality of her knitting, and gradually the atmosphere in the house became more friendly and relaxed. Gaining some confidence, she showed some pictures she painted as well. The next moment I realized the other three sisters and the mother were smiling with pride.

This family is not able to lead an economically satisfying life. The camp is not a friendly place for a lady with disability to live in. But despite this, I believe it means a lot that she has something she likes doing, and does it well too, and by doing that makes her and her family happy.

JEN will continue to assist those people going through hardships, and seeking for a better life.

It’s only mid-August but already it’s 40 degrees celsius at Za‘atari refugee camp.

This year, JEN started providing support to improve the well-being of the most vulnerable families at Za‘atari camp.

A 3 meter x 5 meter container, “caravan” is provided to a family of 6. The caravan is not large enough to live in, so many families add extra rooms onto the caravan, to create a kitchen and bathroom. To use the space next to the caravan they lay cement as the ground is rocky and uneven.

However, it is difficult for many families especially those in need of nursing care, single parent families, families with many children and wheelchair users to earn the money needed to improve their living conditions. So some families live on an uneven dirt floor. So, JEN supported 8 families improve their living conditions, if only by a little, by making cement floors for them.

JEN will be there for the most vulnerable households to keep providing the support they need.

Links:

• Official Web Site
• Facebook

In the Za’atari Refugee Camp, an extensive water supply and sewerage system is being constructed; its sheer scale is unparalleled in the world’s refugee camps.

When the construction is complete in 2018, as scheduled, drinking water will be supplied directly to each residence and waste water will be pumped from each residence to the sewage treatment plant built in the southern part of the camp.

This will eliminate tasks such as supply trucks daily refilling the water storage tanks and trucks having to pump up sewage from underground septic tanks.
Thus, significant cost and time savings will be made. With less traffic in the camp accidents will be reduced too.

JEN’s major roles are; deciding how the camp residents can best be involved in the project and monitoring the construction companies.

This is a large-scale construction project tackled by refugee camp residents, aid agencies, Jordanian construction companies and the local police all working together. 

In this report, one of JEN staff reports about a recycling project in the Za’atari Refugee Camp.

I am in charge of the recycling project in the Za’atari Refugee Camp.

Recycling has various advantages and we anticipate the following results from our efforts. Especially, the creation of new revenue opportunities for both male and, female refugees over a broad age ranges.

This project was launched on a trial basis in one of the 12 districts in the camp by an international NGO in the summer of 2015. The initiative was then introduced to all districts by November 2016. JEN is responsible for the recycling project in Districts 3, 4 and 5 in cooperation with the NGO.

The purpose of this project is to collect the recyclable waste generated in everyday life, such as glass, metals, textile and cardboard boxes, in order to reduce waste. This recyclable waste collected from each household is sent to a recycle centre located away from the residential area in the camp where it is separated according to material.

In the districts in which JEN is active, a total of 24 Syrian women and 18 Syrian men work as guidance staff and recyclable waste collection staff. They have been trained in the details of this recycling project and understand how to communicate with and get a message across to refugees. This is because separation of waste is unfamiliar to Syrians, we firstly explained them the importance of the project and what kind of waste is to be collected.

After the training, the guidance staff and also the collection staff asked householders to collect recyclable waste. The householders who understand the significance of this project due to the guidance staff’s explanation help to recycle waste. We have distributed a rubbish bin to every house to make separation easier. We also monitor the progress of each team and carry out co-ordination between the teams' members.

During the waste collecting, sometimes some householders do not participate into our system of the waste collecting. When it was occurred, I would offer advice that two of the teams, both the guidance and collecting staff, need to co-ordinate a communication each other. There were only a few cases, I would visit the householders on behalf of the teams. Therefore, their communication skills have been fostered by solving this kind of situations.

I have been involved in similar activities with humanitarian support organisations including JEN over the last five years, through which I have learned how to communicate with and support refugees who are in a difficult situation. The feeling that I am helping refugees makes me feel proud and gives me inspiration to improve myskills. I would like to further enhance my management skills.