In light of the recent military developments in Syria, which reflect profound regional transformations, Jordan has for many years gone through exceptional circumstances and numerous changes related to the protection of Syrian refugees, as well as the effects thereof on the host community, among other circumstances.
In this context, and to review the UN, Jordanian, and international efforts, and to open discussions on the priorities of the Jordanian government as of now in this file, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), under coordination by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan (UNHCR), organized a visit to Zaatari camp (east of Mafraq), with the participation of members of the newly elected parliament, the Ministry of Justice, the United Nations Justice Program, security agencies, and a number of civil society representatives.
The visit came as a result of previous dialogues with women and activists, held by ARDD as part of the New Generation project. The visit included learning about the efforts and legal protection services provided by the Jordanian government, UNHCR, and ARDD’s office for Syrian refugees, followed by a visit to the only Sharia court in the camp, through which Jordan has provided great services to refugees, and concluded with a visit to the city of Um Al-Jimal to learn about the effects of the refugee crisis that may have a positive or negative impact on the host community in Mafraq Governorate.
Samar Muhareb, Executive Director of ARDD, praised Jordan’s efforts through ministries and institutions and the partnership with the UNHCR and donors over many years, stressing the need to recognize, build on, and learn from these efforts.
On the challenges facing refugees in the camp, the Director of Administrative Affairs for Syrian Refugees in the camp, Lieutenant Colonel Amer Al-Mashaqbeh, indicated that there are one million and 300 thousand Syrian refugees in Jordan, and that they face several obstacles starting from the lack of funding, poor infrastructure, the rundown caravans in which they live, the lack of services, and unemployment, stressing the importance of providing more care and support by the United Nations and the international community, in order to help the Kingdom in this context.
In turn, a group of women elected to the current House of Representatives expressed their gratitude and appreciation for learning about the refugee file in Jordan and the roles of civil society and the host society in this aspect, stressing the parliament’s legislative and oversight role in supporting strategic issues in the Kingdom.
Going to Um Al-Jimal area, which has been recently listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, participants in the visit learned about the most important landmarks of the city, where they called for the need for local and international investors to invest in the site through a comprehensive promotion campaign and presenting Um Al-Jimal as an attractive tourist destination.
According to these data on the situation of the camp and its developments, the participants in the visit underlined the importance of continuing international and local efforts to alleviate refugee crises in the region, and drew attention to Jordan’s important role in this field for many years, due to the Kingdom’s achievements in this aspect in partnership with the UNHCR, and in coordination between various government and private agencies and civil society institutions, to ensure the protection of refugees and host communities and provide them with decent means of subsistence in these difficult circumstances, leading to the need for Syrian families to access comprehensive healthcare and education services, as well as ensuring that they receive the necessary support to improve their quality of life, both inside and outside the camp.
