CARE supports families with information, referrals, relief items and cash distribution
As the conflict in neighboring Syria continues, more and more refugees are arriving in Jordan. “The number of refugees has increased in the past days. Up to 400 people arrive now daily from Syria”, says Kevin Fitzcharles, CARE Jordan’s Country Director. “At the moment, we and our partners estimate that 15,000 to 20,000 vulnerable Syrians are currently seeking refuge in Jordan and are in need of assistance.” Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria more than one year ago, the number of refugees in Jordan has nearly tripled, putting significant pressure on the humanitarian relief provided by the Jordanian government.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that the majority of displaced families live in cities either in rented accommodation or with host families. Their urgent needs are support to pay rent, access to health care, food and education. Families who are hosting Syrian refugees are under economic pressure. “People need cash support to ensure they have a safe accommodation. Especially women who came to Jordan with their children but without their husbands need our urgent assistance”, reports Fitzcharles. Many of the families suffer from trauma or injuries which they experienced during the conflict or their flight from Syria. They need health care and psychological support.
CARE has already assisted newly arrived Syrian refugee families, especially women, who have no savings with cash support. “We plan to extend this support in the coming days, providing cash and distributing essential relief items such as hygiene kits, blankets and clothing”, says Fitzcharles. “CARE also plans to provide information services, so when families arrive from Syria, we can inform them on the available assistance programs and, if needed, refer them to the respective agencies.”
CARE Jordan has extensive experience working with refugees. For nine years, we been assisting up to 80 refugees arriving daily from Iraq. CARE Jordan receives Iraqis in its Refugee Center, which was established in East Amman in 2003 and where the type of support is determined based on the needs of each family or individual. A wide range of services is available for Iraqi refugees: urgent cash assistance; relief items such as blankets, hygiene kits, clothing; internships, vocational trainings such as hairdressing, computer and mobile maintenance; information provision, and psychosocial support through community based organizations.