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WINTER APPEAL

REPORT

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Before closing the year, and aftersuccessfully implemented our We ArePresent pilot,

the OI carried out three relief projects,assisting the urgent needs of refugeefamilies in three different locations ofJordan.

cashassistance direct reliefassistance

Winter

itemsdistribution

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Through the Syrian Orthodox Church, Father Emmanuel calledto our attention the urgent need for cash assistance for therefugees in his community.Our policy rarely considers cash assistance, but upon meeting

the people we realized that it was integral. The families were stillliving in caravans in Madaba despite the harsh weatherconditions of December. The food parcels and clothes voucherswere not sufficient to satisfy their needs. We found out that twowomen in the area were in control of the food and meals andwere apparently practicing some form of food control, whichmade all the families upset and humiliated. They required more;they did not have enough food and heaters, and nor could theyafford to buy gifts for their children considering it was right

before Christmas time. Because of this, we made an exceptionand distributed $100.00 per family. Our distribution visits weretransformed into social ones; we listened to the families stories.As a way of reconciliation, distributing extra cash to the familiesallowed them to celebrate Christmas with more comfort thatwould have been possible.In addition to the cash assistance, the families requested food.We arranged to send them the list they requested, whichincluded eggs, canned meat, cooking oil, dates, and syrup, as

well as sanitary napkins for women and baby pampers.All thirty three families were given upon the beginning of theNew Year some funds from Caritas to rent a house. The amountis humble but can cover a small house in Madaba for a completeyear.One little girl, secretly told us that Santa couldnt visit countrieswith war, this is why she has never received any pink toy that shehas ever asked for.We made sure the pinkie toys arrived this Christmas.

Cash assistance for Iraqi and Syrian refugee families

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Just a few days before Christmas, the office received an

unidentified call from a woman. A hesitating voice, apologizing forcalling since someone gave her the number, and saying she is a non

christian, but at this point she has to call the churches for help.

We sent an assessment team to evaluate the situation, andimmediately we decided to act.

What we found was beyond words, even after all these years of

assisting the most vulnerable. Here is in brief their story:

This is a Syrian family of nine members, the grandfather, Abu Alaa

the father, Um Alaa the mother, four girls, and two boys. They fled alife threatening situation in Syria, were they lived, in Fayrouza

village. Three years ago they crossed the borders to Jordan.

At that time, the mother Um Alaa just had a baby girl, one weekold, and was carrying her all the way through. Alaa, narrated us the

sad story of their journey, were she was so desperate that she

almost leaves her baby behind. She was, sick, cold and unable tobreast feed herbut the eldest daughter took her little sister and

carried her all the way to Jordan. When they arrived to safe land,

they lived in the Zatari Camp for the first three months, but beingscared for their two 15 year old girls to be abused, they decided to

move to Amman, to Alhussain Camp ( this camp was established

back in the 1967 for the Palestinian refugees) and rent thisbasement house from a land lord who takes their food vouchers

they receive from the UNHCR in return for the monthly rent which

is in USD 190.- in JD 135.-

The conditions of the house were miserable, the most unhealthy but

cleanest at the same time we have ever seen. Extreme humidity, no

heater, no furnitureand the winter already hitting Amman.

Urgent Assistance for a Syrian Family

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We bought a winter package for all the members which included:

- A winter Jacket, track suit, a winter blouse, hat, gloves, scarf, and

bunch of socks. When we gave them their new clothes, the girls were

really shy and hiding, apparently the family is afraid of even leavingthe house, it is the trauma of having escaped, and living in this

uncertainty that makes them such a vulnerable target.At one moment the Grandfather came out from his room and sat onthe only chair that was in the house, the team greeted him and bow

to kiss his hand ( its an Arab tradition when you greet very old people

as a sign of respect ) but he pulled his hand. The Grandpa startedcrying and we all felt the world was spinning, the team, his

grandchildren, his soneverybody was silently crying, standing in this

empty house except of some mattresses and four blankets .As we told him not to cry, and that he was not alone, as there are

people in the world who care about him, he replied in a heartbreaking

gasp: I want Syria. And he added: Thank you, may the cross protect you. This is a

Muslim Family, and this isnt strange, because through the history,

Syria was well known for its peaceful coexistence, until recently thingschanged.

As we spoke with the father, we discovered through a medical report,

that he was held a prisoner for five months and tortured for many daysin a single room, being hanged and electrified.

He also witnessed the killing of his brother and his family.

This tragic narration left us speechless. We not only provide relief, butalso try to understand the reality by building bridges of trust.After this visit, we sent nine mattresses and nine quilts, a gas heater

and its gas bottle, we fixed their fridge, gas, washing machine, we

supported in fixing the humidity in the house which is caused by abutler shop which is refusing to deal with the problem and ultimately

all the medicines for the Grandfather .

In addition, the team noticed that there was not one toy around thehouse so the children can play , we also bought toys for girls and

some other educational toys .

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WE ARE PRESENT