Every winter, and as part of its efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change, and its preparedness, response and seasonal assistance plans, the Jordan NGOs Forum (JONAF) comes to the aid of the most vulnerable groups of Jordanians and refugees, to ensure the achievement of the principle of social justice and strengthen the spirit of solidarity among individuals.
The Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), the general coordinator of JONAF, which was established in 2016, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development, supervised the distribution of aid in different regions through experienced local associations that were able to reach and respond to these most vulnerable groups in Jordan.
440 coupons were distributed to families through the following associations: Khawla Bint Al Azwar in Zarqa, Step of Hope in Irbid, Abu Alanda for Social Development in Amman, and Child Care in Mafraq.
ARDD commends the role of local associations, which are familiar with the needs of their communities and which completed the distribution campaign at the beginning of January 2022, just in time for the winter season. The members of the associations worked with high professionalism in distributing aid, showing complying with the standards of humanitarian work, reaching the beneficiaries who were unable to move, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, all with a positive impact on the beneficiaries.
JONAF strongly believes in the need to provide support to national actors, to enable them to deal with the repercussions of climate change, and commends the role of the government and international donor community in creating an enabling environment that supports local civil society’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, respond to them and contain them while carrying out its responsibility of optimally responding to climate-related issues.
Over the past years, ARDD has worked to strengthen the capacities of local associations workers and develop their skills in order to activate the localization of humanitarian work and help them reach the most vulnerable groups in need of assistance, at all times: whether in the winter season, holidays, such as Ramadan, or emergency crises, including climate change.
JONAF, relying on the Harat Al Ouneh (Supportive Neighborhoods) initiative, and investing in the energies of young people, developing their capabilities and highlighting them, and enhancing their community participation, worked on developing the Youth Aid Committee within the Al Nahda Youth Network. To that end, it trained, in cooperation with JONAF member Jordan Paramedic Society, 90 young men and women in Amman, Mafraq, Tafileh and Zarqa, to implement community initiatives, crisis management, protection principles, humanitarian work, advanced first aid and protection from infection.
The efforts of local associations and the cooperation shown by government institutions, from ministries to cadres, came to bolster the effort to respond to crises, including climate change, and to ensure that aid reaches those who deserve it. More synergy, activating the localization of humanitarian work and complementarity among the efforts of civil society, the government and donors, to reach the least cared for and most vulnerable groups in our societies.
