DELIVERED AT THE BORDER

WE ARE PRESENT / Orthodox initiative. Project Appeal Assessment to the Syrian Refugees at the Jordanian Syrian Borders. February. 2016

The ”We are present“ is the theme name launched in December 2015. It stands for our relief work and dignity advocacy to the Syrian refugees in Jordan. Please see the Christmas experience project www.orthodoxinitiative.org

It indicates the following :- We are present as Syrian refugees claiming a dignified life from the world. We are present as the OI for the most vulnerable. We are present, the voice of every Syrian Child reminding the world that they exist.

More than a million Syrian refugee crossed to the Jordanian borders since 2013, some at the Zatari and AlAzraq camps, but the biggest number are scattered all over the Kingdom. The office started working since 2013 to offer relief humanitarian aid, bearing in mind their dignity.

The We are present team has concluded an assessment for three unofficial tented settlements for the Syrian refugees , scattered around Al Mafraq city 49.68 Km from Amman city to the north , the closest to the Jordanian Syrian Borders. This area is part of the Jordanian Northern desert exposed to the harsh weather conditions. In addition, more than half the population at these camps are under 18years old children, minimum of the basic needs are not present. Refugees are living in tents unlike other official camps that provided caravans for everyone.

Camps location, geography and statistics:

Sabha and Subaiha Camps: Located in Mafraq (Northern Badia). It is 38 km north of Mafraq on Bagdad st, leading to the northern Badia toward the Jordanian Syrian border which is close to the Syrian Suwaida village. Family population: 42 family around 200 people.

Zamla Prince Ghazi Camp: Located 7km from Sabha and Subhaia, and it is reached through secondary roads. It is also 45 km from Mafraq. Family population: 150 people

Nayfeh Camp: Located 60 km from Mafraq. The access to this camp is very hard since it’s far from the main roads. Family population: 45 around 210 people.

Access to the camps is hard by the landscape of their locations, they are situated off the main roads, and the only way to get there is through unpaved secondary roads across farm lands. Their location resulted in complete isolation of those communities, and contributed to the rare presence of humanitarian help.

In the desert, during winter time, the temperatures can dramatically drop reaching below zero degrees. Their tents are subject to tear from the strong wind thus becoming not enough of a protection shield for the freezing strong wind which lashes the area. Hypothermia, flu, pneumonia and infections are some of the diseases spread during the cold season. they also suffer from lack of heavy clothes especially the children . The temperatures in the summer can reach higher than 45º C, making life inside the tents almost unbearable. The heat and the lack of water contribute to high levels of dehydration between the most vulnerable populations. The sandstorms that occur in the Jordanian desert can seriously damage their tents and ultimately threaten their lives.

Social and geographical background of the refugee population:

The three camps share resemblance in the general context of background, living situation and needs. The majority of the families come from the Syrian Reef ( country side ), the Damascus Reef, Hama and Alghouta Al Sharkia , these areas became very active conflict zones. These refugees entered the Jordanian land in 2013 when the situation in that area became a life threatening to their families, and most men were threatened if they refuse to join the fighting groups, upon arriving to Jordan they were placed in Zaatari at first. Later and upon their request, they were moved to Sabha and Subaiha. Their Bedouin tribal background made it difficult for them to adapt to the life in Zaatari. These kind of for tribes in the middle east they usually own a small farm house, they plant their own food and raise cattle, therefore, living in Zatari camp was very tough for them in terms of privacy and space.

The villages of Sabha and Subhaia hosts farmers several informal tented settlement, which usually proliferate near the big farms. This is a way for the refugees to seek some kind of security, by working for the farmers in exchange of little cash, and very few resources for the camp site, like electricity and sometimes water. The refugees are paying a Jordan Dinar 160. - Per year to the landlords of the farms.

ASSESSMENT

WE ARE PRESENT team has observed the precarious situation of these unofficial settlements, during our last intervention, distributing hygiene kits for pregnant women and young mothers, which was part of a pilot project, and served as an exercise to have a first look at the situation of the Syrian refugees living in this area.

The situation of those refugees needed a second assessment to study things in a detailed way, and to offer us the opportunity to have a closer look at their living reality. To have a successful accurate assessment, we have worked closely with one local Jordanian young man who is very well aware of those camps, and another Syrian who is living with them. This is essential to be able to allocate the beneficiaries, have proper statistics of the children and to guide us through this unfamiliar area in the midst of the desert. This collaboration is extremely important to us, because we always believe that during our assessments local community must be present. This will serve us in much way in terms of the exact needs and so avoiding redundancy in the distribution.

During our visit to the three camps, we have distributed at the same time toys for the children and kerosene heaters after allocating the right beneficiaries.

Children are lacking almost everything, their daily lives holds absolutely no resemblance with a normal childhood. No toys, no proper education, no safety or even enough clothing. The Syrian adults in the three camps were very helpful they showed us around and we could list the infrastructure of the camps, sanitary conditions and an overall view on their tough living situation. We also conducted focus group sessions, separately with men and women, offering them the time and privacy to speak and share with us their needs and even their stories , this was very important to us as well in regard to our first and foremost goal , dignity of the refugee. In addition, it helped us gather enough information to plan ahead, and know exactly what are the most urgent needs and a valuable exercise which brings us different perspectives and helps us become more innovative when it comes to action.

During the focus group, women showed great interest and predisposition to learn how to prepare themselves on emergency situations, like first aid training. Living in the isolation of the desert, and lacking proper resources, makes this kind of training essential for survival. With a bit of effort and just by paying attention, we can adjust to provide not only basic relief, but smart and efficient help.

We have also distributed to a 100 children, aged between 1 to 12, in two different camps, the most remote ones, the following items:

- 100 book notes - 100 color sets - 50 footballs - 50 dolls - 100 pinwheels - 100 candy - 100 chocolate bars - 200 bags of chips - 10 kerosene heaters/ for ten families.

It’s worth mentioning that at the first camp, children were very organized and waited patiently in line for half an hour to get their items, and that was due to a school that was established at that camp, though the school consisted of one small tent but in comparison with the last camp it was more difficult since all the children were rushing to us, crowding to take their doll or football.

focus group with women

Children items distribution

Assessment & distribution

OVERALL SITUATION

1- Electricity and water

- Scarcity in water supplies, just a few water reservoirs, to supply all the community. - They buy water with their own limited resources. - A couple of toilet cabins, without proper water outlet. - Showers are merely a cubicle or a booth made with branches and cloth, or another cabin which cannot meet the needs of any hygiene standard. -The kitchen is in one tent, without cookers. - Electricity is taken from the farms around and is limited, three hours at night.

2- Transportation

- No regular lines of public transport. - They have to walk to the nearest village to reach public transportation, cost to reach Mafraq city is JD 15.-

3-Hygiene and personal care

- Lack of proper winter clothing. - Shortage in detergents, cleaning and sanitizing items. - Lack of proper medicine or first aid resources.

4-Education

- No proper educational installations except of one of the camps had a small tent which served as school room, without chairs and desks, only plastic stools. - Little educational material. - Two classes per day provided by refugees who are supported by Save the Children, Arabic and Math.

Health and Underdevelopment consequences

- High risk of infections, diseases due to poor sanitary conditions, harsh weather exposure and lack of medical support. - High risk of malnutrition. - Educational underdevelopment. - Psychological impairment due to trauma, uncertainty and difficult adjustment. - Isolation

toilet facilities

water supplieshousing

Conclusion

The camps are hosting not less than 350 Syrian refugees, more than half are children under 15 years old, most of the youngest children were bare footed, facing the cold and harsh weather conditions. According to the information we gathered, the refugees are receiving 10 Jordan Dinar from the UNHCR per month, which covers roughly any basic need, considering the cost of water, transportation and food supplies. The infrastructure of the camps, stands below minimum health or safety standards, representing a threat to the wellbeing of its refugee population. On the educational aspect, Save the Children International is providing the schooling at one of the camps only, and they have hired one young Syrian lady to be the teacher, lecturing Arabic and Math. Some of the children have been displaced and out of school for more than three years, which represents a terrible scenario for their development. We also understood that ACTED provided the water tanks and the portable toilets. The lack of water and the isolation of these camps put the refugees at a very high risk from every perspective.

OUR APPEAL

After evaluating the dire situation of the refugee population in this bordering area, we are committed to work to help these families have their dignity back as far as possible. Our main focus now is to provide DIRECT URGENT ASSISTANCE, which will fit the specific needs of the extreme conditions they face due to living in tented settlements in the desert.

We are preparing to distribute for around 350 families with the following three different aid parcels: ( please note, that statistics are subject to change due to the uncertainty of the crisis situation )

Direct Urgent Assistance parcel QTY.

DETERGENT BOX ( Household cleaning products, washing products, personal hygiene products, disinfectant gel,etc. )

350

DIGNITY WOMEN BOX ( Sanitary napkins, personal hygiene products, and

other women essentials, etc. )350

FIRST AID BOX ( Adhesive bandages, disinfectant, sterile gauze

pads, etc. )350

Our second focus of support, is to provide basic vocational training in two areas which need immediate attention. This action aims to address certain risks and concerns of these communities, and ultimately to improve the quality of life of individuals and development of the children in the camps.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING and MATERIAL intended to develop the children nursery and school resources of the camps including: - Primary material - Educational resources

VOCATIONAL TRAINING in First Aid including: - Emergency situations reaction - Proper use of First Aid material - Basic First Aid cures

The situation is urgent, fragile and uncertain, and it requires an urgent response from the humanitarian bodies. We Are Present team appeals to the good will of our people, donors, and partners in the world to step in with us in rescuing the most vulnerable ones.

* we will provide detailed proposed budget upon request.

WE ARE PRESENT