December 5, 2014
Jordan
Since the new year Caritas Czech Republic has supported the maintance of five mobile clinics in Syria, where doctors and nurses treat or provide help to more than 1 000 patients. Nearly two thousand Syrian refugees now living in Jordan signed up an educational series being held by Charity Jordan in cooperation with Caritas CR. These are just two examples of the current urgent need of help of Caritas CR in the Middle East.
Since the civil war the situation in Syria has been complex. The number of deaths and property damage is rising. The humanitarian crisis has spread to Iraqi residents, due to the progress of Islamic State soldiers. Iraqis had to flee from Mosul, but also from other parts of Niniveh province, to Kurdistan province, or to the neighboring states of Jordan, Lebanon or Turkey.
The world charities helping directly in Syria or neighboring states are reaching their limits. Charity of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, have been taking in refugees from Syria, but nowadays from Iraq as well. Charity of Iraq provides direct aid in Erbil to more than seven thousand men, women and children, who have found their new homes there.
„The middle east is now in tough situation. Charitable organizations are literally overflowing, for the need of help is rising and the resources are getting thinner. The basic necessities are out of our reach. We cannot accept the fact that the lives of society, lives of milions of people, who have lived in peace, are now destroyed,“ commented secretary general Michel Roy, during the november meeting in Rome.
Caritas Czech Republic closely cooperates with local charities and other organizations in Syria (names are omitted for security reasons). CCR supports the operation of mobile clinics in Syria, which is helping more than 26 000 local residents as well as new immigrants in 12 villages in the northern part of the country. For instance, in Cctober the medics investigated problems with respiratory and digestive tracts, infections, various chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and also treated 24 wounds. Directly in Damascus operates another partner of Caritas CR by providing financial support. FromAapril to October this year they have provided to 922 registered families: 491 vouchers to buy the basic needs, 96 vouchers for clothing and 355 housing donations. Among the 4,575 people who received the help were 1 494 children up to the age of 15 (290 children were younger than 4 years old).
In Jordan, the help was more in the form of food vouchers, clothing vouchers and securing insulation in housings and rented places outside the refugee camps. This form of aid will continue, together with provision of psychosocial help. In the summer of 2014 the Caritas CR and Charity Jordan launched a training project for Syrian refugees. Based on the research done, the training will focus on the general knowledge of health and hygiene as well as language and computer courses, legal rights awareness and financial literacy. Managerial abilities (such as the basics of leadership, business and communication) and practical and craft skills (agriculture, building and postwar restoration) will also be offered.
„The areas were chosen given the pressure on the market in Jordan, as well as consideration of possible agriculture restoration in Syria when the conflict is resolved,“ describes Daniel Dräxler, representative of Caritas Czech Republic.
According to information from Charity of Iraq and team of humanitarian experts Caritas Internationalis, the means acquired by public collection provided for the purchase of food, drinkable water, clothing and accomodation in evacuation centers or other places.
