Do Not Forget – Za’atari Refugee Camp Officials’ Rallying Call
DO NOT FORGET – ZA’ATARI REFUGEE CAMP OFFICIALS’ RALLYING CALL
The Refugee Highway Partnership Global Leadership Team held their meeting in Amman, Jordan from September 16-21, 2022 to address issues of closer collaboration with partner organizations and agencies serving the forcibly displaced globally.
The meeting culminated in a visit to the Za’atari Refugee Camp which hosts 80,000 Syrian refugees and another 47 other nationalities. Post-COVID and the enraging Russia-Ukraine conflict have left the once-hailed refugee camp facing unbearable consequences of the donor pull-out. The Za’atari Refugee camp is host to over 125,000 refugees housed in 26,000 prefabricated caravans. The need to add 900 prefabricated caravans to mitigate raising numbers and open additional health clinics and schools has been futile as most non-profit organizations have ceased support due to a lack of funds or a shift of focus to Ukrainian refugees. Leaders at the refugee camp lamented duplication of efforts between some partners which leads to priority gaps set by the government and UNHCR teams managing the camp. They reiterated that the government of Jordan has been extremely generous and has allowed the country’s forcibly displaced to access government health facilities and ensured that Covid 19 vaccines remained available for those who opted for them in the camp.
At the end of 2022, there were 700,000 refugees in Jordan (90% Syrian, 8% Iraqi). As we continue to stand alongside Syrian refugees, let us also not forget that protection and humanitarian assistance continues to be provided by UNHCR for an estimated 276,000 Iraqi refugees registered in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. In 2022, Iraqis in need of resettlement is expected to be close to 38,000.
A strong call for collaboration and unity among players in the field of refugee work remains urgent if not critical. The global leadership team of the RHP recognize the unique strategic value the Church has in being a global network of local churches, and the potential this creates for believers to come together to effectively serve, support and show solidarity with people on the move.
We seek your prayers and support as we seek to holistically serve the forcibly displaced globally.
The Refugee Highway Partnership (RHP) —Together mobilising the global Christian community to support the forcibly displaced around the world
The RHP is a global network formed of existing and emerging regions. As part of a refugee movement, impassioned by a God-inspired love for refugees and a biblical mandate to care for forcibly displaced persons, the RHP
