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Ammon News - Twinkling lights, beautifully decorated tables, delicious food and music set the backdrop for a Ramadan night for refugees, hosted by the Al Nuzha Community Support Centre on Tuesday.

Supported by UNHCR and operated by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), the centre offers a variety of support for refugees of all nationalities living in Amman.

A number of refugees from a variety of backgrounds, including Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Somalia and Iraq joined the celebration.

A table of four Jordanian women discussed how pleased they were to be celebrating at the centre after not being able to gather like this due to COVID-19.

One woman mentioned how Ramadan did not feel as fun as usual over the previous two years because she felt as though she could not truly celebrate.

Another said: “We are very happy… this is the first time we are having fun during Ramadan after two years.”

Another table of three elderly Iraqi refugees talked about how grateful they are for the community centre.

“With so much financial and psychological pressure, this night has provided us with relief… events like this allow us to relax,” said Khadldon Salem, an Iraqi man.

Nethal Fared, an Iraqi woman sitting next to him noted: “We all respect and appreciate this event and the people organising these gatherings at the centre.”

However, they also noted that Ramadan can be difficult at times for non-Jordanians.

“It is a very nice month, but I don’t leave home often because I don’t know many people in Jordan,” said Fared.

Mohammad Qassem, a member of the Community Support Committee at the centre, has made it his “goal” to provide these refugees with a family and a second home.

Qassem mentioned how Ramadan can be mentally challenging for refugees.

“When Ramadan comes, they remember their homes,” he said.

As a Yemeni refugee who had to flee his home country five years ago, Qassem said he understood the nostalgic emotions Ramadan can trigger.

Qassem said he, along with the rest of the team at the centre, strives to make their events all-inclusive and not planned according to nationality.

“Togetherness is what the refugees who come to the centre want,” said Qassem.

The centre hosts a diverse range of events, such as language classes, arts and crafts gatherings, chess games, and fabric-design programmes.

The centre has provided the refugees with a space to learn about each other’s cultures, whether through sharing childhood stories or teaching each other traditional songs, he said.