Physical Health Jordan Project #12595

Relief Assistance for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

by Japan Emergency NGO (JEN)

Project Report | Oct 7, 2013
Preparing for Winter Season, 2013

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

A Factory to produce drinking water.

[Socio-economic Disparity in Zaatari Camp]

United under the UN agencies’ umbrella and for the second winter season, organizations working in the Zaatari Camp have started to prepare a contingency plan to accommodate 20,000-30,000 new arrivals to the camp. In addition UNHCR has established a Strategy Advisory Working Group to discuss a long term strategy. JEN was chosen as one of the six major INGOs among over 30 humanitarian organizations working inside the camp.

The camp has been developing at a rapid speed. Now, it has various shops and even a factory with special equipment to produce drinking water. At the same time, economic and social gaps of people inside the camp are growing. Many people are living in pre-fabricated housings with electric equipment, and on the other hand, there are also a huge number of people strongly relying on support from aid agencies. It is important to include those vulnerable people (infants, women household families, elderly and disabled people) in JEN’s activities and make sure each and every person receive support from aid agencies.

[Rising Cost of Living Accompanied by the Syrian Crisis]

The price of daily necessities gradually but surely has gone up. Rent fee has also risen nearly 20 percent compared to that of 2 years ago. Some of the refugees from Syria have come to Jordan rent houses by themselves. In addition, the prices of gas and petrol have also slowly gone up since the beginning of this year. As gas stoves and central heating consuming heavy fuel oil are commonly used in Jordan, the increasing fuel cost is expected to make an impact on the livelihoods of Jordanians.

JEN has supported not only Syrian refugees but also public schools in the host communities that have been hosting people evacuating from Syria. We do so through rehabilitating school facilities and promoting hygiene education. JEN has continued to work in order to make changes to the actual situations of both Syrians and Jordanians, and to ensure their safety and comfortable lives in Jordan.

[Colleagues 3,000 Kilometers Away]

JEN activities are supported by various local staffs. Some staffs go to the field every day and communicate with people in needs directly, while some assist such project staffs so that they can carry on activities smoothly. Back-office section doesn’t draw much attention, but it plays a key role of project implementation. Donations are utilized not only for ones directly delivered to people but also for those costs which are required for supporting projects.

Recently, our admin staff had a skype meeting with a local staff in Juba office. Both of them are thoroughly versed in administrative issues, so international staffs didn’t attend the meeting, and it was held in Arabic. It is the first time for her to talk to South Sudanese as well as JEN staffs working in other office so it was motivational for her. It is expected that meetings like this will be continuously held and staffs in different offices being inspired by one another contribute to the further improvement of JEN activities.

[Winter Clothes Distribution to 9,000 Families]

Situated in the desert terrain, Zaatari refugee camp should face an extreme seasonal temperature. During the summer, it has faced a fierce heat up to 40 degree Celsius. While during the winter, the refugees will live in severe conditions where the rain is heavy and the temperatures are low.

Last winter of 2012, JEN provided assistance through distributions of winter clothes packages to more than 7,500 families in Zaatari Camp and the border areas. A similar activity will be implemented by JEN for upcoming winter season, 2013. JEN has extended the partnership with UNHCR for distributions of clothes donated by UNIQLO. JEN will start the clothes distribution to 9,000 families in October 2013.

[One Year On…]

Only few tents were there last year; however the current population of the camp reaches over hundred thousand people and the Zaatari camp became the fifth largest city in Jordan. JEN’s operation in the camp started from last September, 2012, right after the camp opened. JEN has worked together with UNICEF to establish WASH committee all over the camp to secure people’s presence in the WASH sector and develop their capacity.

Currently around 30 agencies are doing activities inside Zaatari camp. In response to rapid growth of the camp, UNHCR planned to divide the camp into 12 administrative districts and to assign one NGO as a lead agency of each district. JEN was appointed by UNHCR as a lead agency in areas where over 26,000 refugees live. JEN will continue to work in Zaatari camp in close cooperation with the Government of Jordan, UN agencies and other organisations working in the areas in order to ensure peaceful and comfortable living conditions for refugees in the camp.

We see many cars with Syrian number plates.

A staff having a skype meeting with Juba staff.

Unloading winter clothes from the truck.

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Jul 18, 2013
Spreading Hygiene Awareness outside Zaatari Camp

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

There are 6 thousands people every day fled from Syria to neigbouring countries. JEN's operation in Jordan for the refugees are expanding. The report shows the progress of our grass roots innitiatives.

Although the Syrian refugee camps continue to grow, nearly fifty percent of Syrian refugees live in host communities outside of the camps. This population influx heavily affects the schools surrounding the camps. Public schools in Jordan have accepted around twenty-nine thousand Syrian students. As schools near the border exceed their capacity, JEN has found that the current water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in many of these schools are inadequate. To tackle the lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, JEN has built water fountains and improved the existing facilities of ten schools in northern Jordan that have accepted Syrian children.

JEN not only built new hygiene facilities but also promoted hygiene education. JEN trained teachers to give hygiene lessons to students using materials created by JEN. Then, after each lesson, JEN provided students with basic hygiene kits. The response to this program was very positive and JEN was even invited back to Suhiab Alrumy, a primary school for boys located in the Mafraq province, a rural area of Jordan. The children who attended the school wanted to thank JEN for the rehabilitation of their school’s water facilities as well for the hygiene education they received. The students hung a sign by the school to welcome JEN, gave JEN traditional souvenirs to show their appreciation, and prepared a performance which included songs and a speech thanking JEN.

JEN would like to thank Japan Platform and all our members and contributors for supporting our humanitarian mission and spreading the spirit of joy, happiness, and cooperation in these schools.

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May 9, 2013
Three stories from school hygiene promotion

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

As we started the hygiene promotion for the selected schools, which accepted the Syrian refugee students, and had problems such as the capacity of latrines and hygiene awareness; we began the teachers’ training sessions, followed by students’ sessions and hygiene kits distribution.

Upon our visit to conduct the students’ session in Alhamraa Secondary School for girls in Almafraq province, the teacher named Nisreen who held the students’ session prepared four groups of 16-year-old girls, each group had their own name “butterflies, flowers, seagulls and Youth of the Future”.

The teacher start to handed them papers with different colors after she finished conducting the session, each group had a task to be accomplished, they wrote on pieces of papers different diseases types (definition, symptoms, methods of transmission and prophylaxis) inspired from our secondary hygiene promotion booklet. The result was an interesting collage that can be used in the school passages and it can be good brief information for all people together with our distributed posters.

One girl of them said “My ambition now is to be a model in increasing awareness in water conservation and health care especially hygiene care in my home and in my school”.

“To attract the young students attention and to get the maximum benefit of hygiene awareness” teacher Abdulla proclaim in the followed school visit Albowyada primary school for boys, the teacher prepared an interesting play held by two students. This play was based on our hygiene primary booklet, which is the story about Sarah and Ahmed.

“There is no soap in my school but from now on I have my own soap and I’m going to use it after the toilet and before eating”. A 10-year-old child who received hygiene kits from JEN proclaims so and he was so happy that he offered a candy to express how thankful he was.

It is nice to spread the spirit of hygiene, cooperation, joy and happiness in these schools.

We are so grateful for the support of Japan Platform and Contributors and for all JEN supporters.

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