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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Unicef has begun its 2016-2017 winter assistance programme, helping thousands of vulnerable Syrian families protect their children from the cold.

With temperatures dropping close to freezing in many parts of country, Unicef is using a mixed strategy of cash support and in-kind distribution to urgently support over 150,000 disadvantaged children living in Syrian refugee camps, host communities and other difficult locations.

“Unicef’s top priority currently is to enable vulnerable families to keep their children warm, healthy and active, and continue to attend schools and learning programmes,” said the Unicef Representative, Robert Jenkins. “Our partnership with the Government, NGOs and UNHCR is highly significant, as it helps us reach as many vulnerable children as possible this winter,” he added.

All children in Za’atari and Azraq Refugee camps, over 60,000, are receiving a one-time cash grant of 20 Jordanian Dinars (£22.30) per child. Unicef is supporting the Norwegian Refugee Council to distribute the cash directly to the heads of households. In addition, over 25,000 of the most vulnerable children in host communities are also receiving a similar winter cash assistance from Unicef.

Families are being informed through mobile text messages, posters, flyers and awareness sessions that the Unicef cash assistance is for the winter needs of their children.

Outside camps, in areas with limited access to the market, and to families encamped at Jordan’s North Eastern border, Unicef is delivering winter kits to more than 65,000 children through partners.

Unicef’s 2016-2017 winterization programme in Jordan is made possible through the generous support from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the governments of the Netherlands and the United States.