Jordan, the hard life of the Syrian and Iraqi refugees
In Jordan, the Association pro Terra Sancta cooperates with the Franciscan Friars in Amman, the Latin parishes and other organizations to alleviate the humanitarian crisis of refugees fleeing from conflicted areas.
They come from Syria, Iraq or Egypt. Mostly there are families of asylum seekers who have nothing, but a last shred of hope with which they try to start over in a new Country. Some are forced to stay in the refugee camps, but most of them ask to be accepted in the local communities.
Jordan is an important stage of this eternal exodus with an increasing number of refugees. The Country now hosts almost 1.5 million refugees coming from Syria, around 21% of the Jordanian population, counting seven million inhabitants.
With the escalation of violence in the neighboring countries, the situation has worsened since the summer 2014: schools are overcrowded; refugees don’t have a working permit and cannot find a job, with few exceptions. Many associations cooperate to help refugees through the establishment of first aid camps, the distribution of basic necessities and psychological support.
But the real issues emerge when either families or individuals move from first aid camps to more comfortable flats and homes; or else when people already living in flats, cannot afford to pay the rent anymore.
Last year, thanks to the support of many donors and friends, we were able to grant monthly financial support for basic necessities, house rents, medicines and medical care.
Loans where then granted for the benefit of Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian students belonging to large families in great need. Other funds were used to help charities: the orphanage and the Terra Sancta School for clothing, bags and food for the poorest.
“Thanks to the help of my Christian brothers – says one of our beneficiaries – I felt relieved. Now I’m better, especially spiritually!” Being able to afford medicines therefore made him recover not only physically, but also made him feel loved, and not abandoned on his own.