October 8, 2013
Syria
Report by Caritas Jordan about the situation on the borders with the land agitated by war and about the possibilities to help to reduce tension and suffering.
Many Syrian families are living through their second “evasion.” According to the report of the high commissioner of UNO for refugees, many Syrians that recently ran from their country are now desperately trying to get away from the refugee camps.
The reasons are mostly the attack on women and recruiting of young boys to military units. The report also noted that several organized criminal groups are operating in the camp of Zaatari and local equipment and supplies are the object of theft and vandalism.
One day for a million dollars
The camp Zaatari is one year old and has become a temporary city with shops, educational, health and entertainment facilities. The density of population makes it the fifth biggest city in Jordan and the second largest refugee camp in the world. At the moment, 517,000 persons are registered here and running the camp cost about 1 million US dollars a day.
Five to six thousand people run away from Syria because of the ongoing violence every day. The number of Syrian refugees in the surrounding countries has reached 1.9 million persons. Fighting even continues near the Syrian-Jordan border.
With no end to the war in sight, and with hope of relieving the overcrowded camp Zaatari, the Jordan government has built a third centre for refugees, a camp called 
Mkheizem Al Gharbieh.
Vouchers instead of food packages
At the moment, Caritas Jordan provides help to almost 150,000 people in six locations. They have guaranteed enough resources to provide health care to Syrians and poor Jordanians including special care for mothers with children. The local Caritas centre is also used to support information campaigns, consulting services and distribution of food and other materials.
Caritas conceived several new methods and approaches in the field to ensure material help. A program of distribution of goods vouchers had been launched in 2012. This system is the most effective way of receiving help for the majority of refugees living in cities (with a functioning commercial and economical sector) and also more dignified than the food packages.
Caritas tries to work constantly on improving the work methods of their social workers responsible for providing consulting services. That’s why they are elaborating case studies in every Caritas centre where they are meeting concrete needs of their clients. Caritas workers are meeting in person with the refugees, considering their physical and psychological health and atthe same time working on creating mutual trust.
A part from the projects focusing on the help to refugees, Caritas Jordan provides help to poor Jordanians to reduce tension and conflict between refugees and the local population.
That’s why Caritas encourages positive integration between the two communities. An example of this attitude is the distribution of food and other goods to Syrian and Jordanian families during the sacred month of Ramadan that was conceived in collaboration with ministry of social development. This activity aimed to demonstrate solidarity, strength relations and support the cohabitation of both communities.
CARITAS FOR SYRIA: Bank account number of the collection 55660022/0800, VS 182
Lear more about the help of Caritas CR in Syria
Source: Report of Caritas Jordan, August 2013
