Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Much is said and discussed about the Syrian crisis that has made refugees of more than two million people. Yet, nothing can prepare one for the reality of the situation on the ground and the true hardship of these innocent people who have had to flee their homes in Syria.

I recently had the opportunity to see for myself the Syrian people stranded in Jordan, as I accompanied a delegation from the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) to Jordan.

There, the UAE has a number of initiatives to aid refugees, including the Emirati-Jordanian Field Hospital in Mafraq, and the Emirati-Jordanian Camp in Az Zarqa. Both facilities are situated north of Amman, about 20 kilometres from the Syrian border, and the ongoing conflict means that every other person one comes across is Syrian.

According to the initial itinerary, we were to first visit the Zaatari refugee camp, managed by the United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). The ERC also provides some general support there, including medical care.
The bus ride from Amman took about an hour, and involved scenic landscapes and winding highways.

As we neared Zaatari, however, the situation changed. The generally clean roads were strewn with hundreds of plastic bottles, bags and tins. More worryingly, this rubbish was entangled in barbed wire, which too lay on the sides of the road.

The number of people standing by the roadside increased as we got closer to the camp. Some children waved at us, but most of the people we assumed to be Syrian refugees just looked at us with steely eyes.

One of the ERC representatives on the bus warned us not to pull out our cameras or phones to take pictures. The general tone was that we should not provoke those outside.

I had heard that Zaatari was a difficult place to be a refugee in. And, as we got closer, this seemed all too obvious. Beyond the walls of the camp in the distance, there was a lot of airborne dust. And I soon realised that there was some sort of demonstration within. Men were hurling things at one another, and there was screaming.

We were not told much, but for safety reasons, our ERC guides decided not to enter the camp. So, a few metres away from the gates, we turned away. It was not safe enough to go in.

In hindsight, this makes more sense. I learnt that a good proportion of the more than 571,000 Syrian refugees estimated to be in Jordan by the UNHCR are housed in Zaatari, which provides mainly tents for shelter. In the winter months, with limited food supply, the conditions can be unbearable, especially for families who have fled from once-thriving Syrian cities like Damascus.
Emirati-Jordanian camp

Our next stop was more encouraging, though no less heart-breaking.

We were headed to the Emirati-Jordanian Camp 10 kilometres away from Zaatari, in an area known as Muraijeeb Al Fuhood. Entirely managed by the ERC, the camp already houses 4,000 refugees. And planned expansions mean that nearly 5,000 more people will soon be able to move in.

This camp, I noticed, contained portacabins, each with a bathroom and plumbing. ERC workers on site told me that meals are delivered thrice a day to the camp inhabitants. And the most heartening fact is a set of portacabins that house a school for the children.

Once we entered the camp, hundreds of children surrounded us, accompanying us everywhere and singing songs at the top of their voices. A number of Emirati ERC volunteers took us around, and I could see that they shared a great rapport with the children, knowing many of their names and their families.

Mahboob, an Emirati volunteer and videographer, said he did miss the UAE but loved being at the camp.

“I go home once a month for seven days to see my family. But here in Az Zarqa, I am Superman. I get to help so many people,” he told me.

Many inhabitants are also relieved to be at the Emirati-Jordanian camp, and often help with construction and maintenance of the structures, explained Hadi Al Ka’abi, camp manager.

Unfortunately, which Syrian refugee family ends up at the camp depends entirely on random factors, such as where the family crosses the border and if there is room for more people at the time.
Later in the day, the ERC and a Ministry of Education team that also consisted of 12 pupils, distributed toys and goodies to as many children as possible.

Meanwhile, I struck up a conversation with Gadeer Al Bashawat, a 15-year-old, who said with a sprinkling of English words that she and her family were happy to be in Az Zarqa.
“We hear horror stories about the smelly water, lack of food and fighting in Zaatari. Fleeing from Damascus, this is definitely the better refugee camp to be in. But our hearts yearn for Syria and home,” she said.

Her words summarised the tragedy of the Syrian conflict.
As Mohammad Al Fahim, deputy secretary general of the ERC, said during our visit, the refugees will continue to need aid and support until the conflict is entirely resolved, and even beyond that, as Syria rebuilds itself.

“We will continue striving to help them. And we urge the UAE people to remember that their contributions are always needed. Whether or not the ERC is running a campaign, it is a fact that these refugees have needs and these needs must be met by constant donations and efforts,” he said.

*Gulf News