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Zaatari Camp
• Peace Oasis programming con-
tinues successfully in Zaatari
camp. The program now has 16
Syrian staff comprising education
and mental health professionals,
recruited from amongst camp
residents. Currently 120 boys
and 120 girls are attending regu-
lar programming for three
months.
• The bulk of an 80,000 gifts-in-
kind sweater donation has been
received from Canadian partner
CLWR. LWF is in the process
of scheduling the distribution
through the facilities of NRC.
• A project distributing hygiene
kits in Zaatari camp has been
tentatively approved in coordina-
tion with Czech partners.
• LWF‘s work giving grants to-
wards establishing local NGOs in
Mafraq has been featured in a
Jordanian media production.
Meetings:
• UNHCR-led Sector Working
Groups in Amman and Zaatari:
including Food/Food Security,
Education, Camp Management,
and Protection.
Challenges:
• The shortages of gas bottles has
been resolved, and LWF has
been hurriedly distributing re-
placements to those whose cylin-
ders were delayed.
February Activities:
Host Communities
• As of the end of February the
bulk of commodity winterisa-
tion distributions have been
completed.
• Winterisation beneficiaries in
Irbid, for February: 1,298 fami-
lies received winterisation
supplies, 401 JOR families and
897 SYR families
• Winterisation beneficiaries in
Mafraq for February: 539 JOR
families and 523 SYR families.
• Handover of Idoon Benni
Hassan school is complete,
and classes have begin in the
new classrooms funded by the
BMZ social cohesion project.
• As a continuation of the BMZ
Social Cohesion project,
WASH blocks at some
schools will be upgraded.
This entails complete reno-
vation of toilets and hygiene
facilities.
• A hygiene kit distribution for
host communities has been
approved in partnership with
Wakachiai Organisation/
Japan Platform. Procurement
has begun.
• Shelter and basic WASH
facility upgrades are ongoing
as part of the CLWR-funded
winterisation project. 44
homes were upgraded in
Februrary. One family’s fea-
ture story is features on the
next page of this newsletter.
L U T H E R A N W O R L D L U T H E R A N W O R L D L U T H E R A N W O R L D L U T H E R A N W O R L D
F E D E R A T I O NF E D E R A T I O NF E D E R A T I O NF E D E R A T I O N
LWF Jordan Update F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 | I S S U E 1 1
I N T H I S I S S U E
Program and Funding
Update, page 1
Feature Story: Finding
Shelter, page 2
Staff Update, page 3
Program Achievements and Challenges
LWF Zaatari staff member Nadia Al Ebrahim leads a group of
women in an ice-breaker exercise. Photo Florian Hubner/LWF
2
Feature Story: Finding Shelter LWF beneficiaries Rakan (29), his wife Zainab (21) and their two small daughters, Bushra and Bayan live in a converted shop/
storage space in the northern Jordanian city of Mafraq. Thiers is one of 44 homes
upgraded in February as part of the CLWR/Gov Canada winterisation project.
Rakan comes from a large family with nine siblings, only one of whom remains in
Syria - a brother who is in prison. The rest have found their way to Mafraq, where
they cling to family life in their attempt to maintain some sense of normalcy. In
Homs the siblings each had their own homes, which they were forced to evacuate in
early 2013 when their neighbourhood was damaged by repeated bombing. "We
were afraid of kidnapping. The government was checking houses for insurgents."
Rakan fled with his wife, daughters and mother. "We moved from one side of Homs
to the other but the bombing persisted. Many of the people we know were ar-
rested, we hoped to escape." "We crossed the desert to reach the Jordan border,"
Rakan continues, "sometimes we walked, sometimes we rented a car. It took three
days to reach the border."
"As soon as we crossed the border the Jordanian army took us to Zaatari." He says.
"We stayed one month in Zaatari. The services were not up to standards for a hu-
man being. We decided to leave the camp to come here." Rakan pauses. "Most of
the kids got sick there, it's not safe". The family echoes the sentiments of many who
while initially were guided to Zaatari camp, then decided that they simply could not
stay. Despite disproportionate media attention to the contrary, an estimated 80%
of Syrian refugees live outside Zaatari camp amidst Jordanians in host communities.
Though in theory inside Zaatari all services are provided, many feel more comfort-
able taking their chances outside of the mega-camp.
Rakan and his family have been in Jordan a year, and are still forbidden by
law to work, even as day labourers, so they scrape by collecting what char-
ity they can from local and international NGOs. Zainab kisses the baby Ba-
yan and listens while Rakan and his brother commiserate on the lack of
work opportunities. "My husband asked to work for the day," she inter-
jects, "he was taken by the police and had to write a promise not to work
again." Zainab stays inside all day with the children, occasionally receiving
neighbours who stop by for visits. "All my family is in Lebanon" she says,
shrugging. "Except me, I am here."
The space they call home is 8m x 5m room and the walls are solid grey concrete. In the open shop front there are stacked
concrete blocks that provide a makeshift fourth wall, and a flimsy wooden door the refugees installed themselves. The cave-
like shop space is one of fourteen that share a long hallway, all single rooms with a small sink and bathroom alcove with no
door. Their single appliance has been donated, an old fridge that stands near the back of the room. Four small finches in
two cages above the fridge provide some much-needed colour and cheer to the otherwise cold and grey room.
LWF's basic shelter upgrade project with CLWR and the Canadian government is making improvements to spaces such as
these, installing doors and ventilation fans, as well as lights, and window panes to make spaces more livable. A ventilation
fan has been installed in the bathroom alcove, with plans to add a bathroom door for privacy and hygiene reasons. "We are
grateful for the help," says Rakan, "thanks be to God." Heather Patterson/LWF
Rakan in front of the bathroom alcove, to
which LWF will provide a secure door.
The only natural light comes from a window
that can only be opened from outside the
apartment. Even so, the family is one of the
few in the row of converted shops with ac-
cess to natural lighting or fresh air.
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Um As-Summaq– Mithari Naimat St.
No. 2A– Amman– Jordan
Telefax: +962 6 55 61 546
www.lutheranworldfederation.org
“Uphold the Rights of the Poor and Oppressed”
Staffing Updates
Name Position
Noor Awad Finance and Administrative Officer
Nader Duqmaq Emergency Program Manager
Hiba Khoury Administrative Assistant
Heather Patterson Program Officer
Khader Al Billeh Logistics Officer
Dr. Saad Gideon Project Manager
Community Stabilisation Project
Ashraf Sahawneh Project Engineer
Community Stabilisation Project
Bashar Halaseh Logistics Support Assistant (temporary)
Maysa Khoury Data Entry (temporary)
Rasheed Nijm Project Manager, Aid Distribution
Fayez Al Nemri Project Coordinator, Shelter Upgrades
Fidah Khoury Senior Logistics Officer
Name Position
Wejdan Jarrah Psychosocial Specialist
Mohammad Al Jboor Logistics Officer, Zaatari Camp
(temporary)
Nadia Al Ebrahim Community Mobiliser, Zaatari
Camp
Khairat Ghazeah Community Mobiliser, Zaatari
Camp
Mohammed Husain Al
Alo
Community Mobiliser, Zaatari
Camp
Mohammad Abu Khair Community Mobiliser, Zaatari
Camp
Amman Office Zaatari Office
Visitors to the LWF Jordan Office in February:
• Vitaly Vorona, ELCA
• Roland Schlott (LWF Geneva) and Florian Hubner (GNC/LWF)
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