Syrian Refugees Support Community Action Committees in Northern Jordan
IRBID & MAFRAQ, JORDAN - The Outreach Services for Iraqi Refugees (OSIR) program, now in its fourth year, strengthens outreach to vulnerable Iraqi refugee families living in Jordan by improving access to services that enable them to improve their quality of life. Community action committees (CACs) in Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid Governorates are trained on issues relevant to their refugee community, and use this information to implement beneficial community service activities. Since March, the program has expanded to support Syrian refugees residing in the north. On May 21, Jordanian and Syrian volunteers participated in activities that benefited the local community and encouraged social interaction among citizens and refugees.
Syrians and Jordanians work together to clean areas in Mafraq that needed it badly. Pictured above are volunteers painting the area outside the Mafraq governorate building.
Neighborhood Clean Up: Due to the influx of Syrian refugees in the area, there has been an increased amount of garbage in the streets of northern Jordan. To help address this, a group of 15 Syrians and Jordanians helped clean public spaces in Mafraq. The volunteers spent hours sweeping and picking up garbage from the streets in Hay Al Hussein. A second group of volunteers contributed by painting the pavement outside the Mafraq governorate building. IRD board members Joel Cowan and Robert Brada, along with UNHCR’s Amra Nuhbegovic, were present during both activities.
Children’s Recreational Activity: IRD partnered with the Family and Child Protection Society in Irbid to organize a fun day of activities for Syrian and Jordanian families. Nearly 100 attended the event to enjoy clowns, face painting, folklore dancing, and educational competitions.
The OSIR project is funded by UNHCR and managed by IRD. It is scheduled to run January–December 2012. Read more about our work with Syrian refugees.
Filed Under: Civil Society, Emergency Response, Refugees, Middle East & North Africa, Jordan, Syria
