Toward improving sanitary conditions; first women-only laundry

According to UNHCR, the number of Syrian refugees fled to neighboring countries or North African nations has exceeded 500,000 (as of December 11). More than 500 refugees are arriving at the Zattari camp each day, the largest refugee camp in Jordan where JEN is operating. Although many organizations including U.N. are being involved in helping refugees, their efforts fall behind the need for various forms of aid to rapidly growing refugees. In particular, the issue of unsanitary water environment is considered to be the top priority by support organizations because it will directly affect the health of children and the aged who are vulnerable to infection.

【Children come to a water tap station to drink water.】
【Desert sand doesn’t absorb water. A water-soaked-drain-less tent】
There is an awful lot of need for measures to improve the unsanitary water environment in the camp. As part of a practical approach to improving the environment, first JEN is going to set up women-only common laundries (30 installations) in the camp.

【A JEN staff member questions a women doing the laundry at a toilet about need for water sanitation.】
At present women do the laundry at hand-washing stations attached to toilets. But they also wash dishes, pots and pans, and food there, because of that it is feared that the laundry wastewater could contaminate water for washing hands, dishes and so forth. Not only that results both from a survey in the camp and information-sharing with other organizations showed that for many women washing and hanging out underclothing in the public is a big source of stress resulting from difference in culture.

【A woman does the laundry before her tent using water from a water station. A familiar sight in the camp】
JEN is going to set up a facility exclusively for laundry in every brick-walled compound of common water point (a common water facility where toilets, showers and water tap stations have been set up). At the same time JEN is going to hand laundry kits (containing detergent, clothespins, clotheslines and so on) to 4,000 families to promote the use of the facility. If women use the facility as a place where they mix freely with each other while doing the laundry, it could also help revitalize their community. Refugees in the camp are facing a number of problems with water supply, drainage, garbage and so on. In order to improve unsanitary water improvement, it’s necessary not only to set up facilities needed urgently, but also to raise personal hygiene awareness. From now, JEN will challenge to respond effectively to the need of improving sanitary environment to aid living conditions of refugees.

 

Ready to distribute clothing to refugees in Zattari camp

Distributing winter clothing is up coming. With the harsh Jordanian winter closing in, a number of refugees are arriving at the camp every day and they stand in long line for refugee registration for hours. In order to aid refugees in wintering in the daily swelling camp, given support from a Japanese company, JEN is ensuring to supply 200,000 articles of clothing along with UNHCR. Receiving word that the arrival date of the cargo of clothing was fixed, we went off today to make sure a storehouse is ready to keep the clothing. A total of 200,000 articles of clothing that JEN is going to distribute this time will be carried into the storehouse. Now, JEN is finalizing how to distribute the clothing in the camp along with UNHCR. JEN is also preparing for the distribution based on JEN’s own survey data (family structure, necessary items and head-count)1 so that it may be able to hand the clothing smoothly on the day. JEN will first distribute the clothing to refugees in the Zattari camp in mid-December and then in other Jordanian camps one after another. JEN not only engages in distributing the clothing but also, sharing up-to-the-minute information with U.N. agencies and other countries’ organizations, continues to play a coordinating role as a general coordinator for clothing distribution in Jordan.

【The storehouse for clothing to be carried into】
【The storage and packing space for the clothing that UNHCR and JEN distribute】
【All that remains is to wait for the arrival of the clothing.】
JEN holds a meeting with UNHCR and a storehouse management company to discuss how to bring in and sort the clothing. JEN carefully tests distribution procedure so that the distribution can be processed smoothly.

Footnote
1. The survey was carried out along with ACTED, a French NGO, by visiting and interviewing each household in the camp in person.

JEN has been Appointed Coordinator Responsible for Clothing Distribution to Syrian Refugees

Short autumn came also to Jordan and the maximum temperature is dropping day by day with coats needed in the mornings and evenings. As real winter approaches the wintering support to Syrian refugees is beginning to take full swing.

A hearing assessment of refugees in Zaatari Camp has revealed the strong demand for prefabricated houses and winter clothing. For many of the prefabricated houses have already arrived with support from UNHCR and the Gulf states, JEN, together with UNHCR, will be distributing them to Syrian refugees in Jordan (mainly in Zaatari Camp) from early December.

At the same time, JEN has been formally appointed by UNHCR as coordinator responsible for clothing distribution to Syrian refugees in Jordan (both those in the camp and with suburban host families). From now on, all the clothing distribution operations in Jordan, including the distribution of those clothing supplied by other parties, will be carried out under the supervision of JEN.

Before full-fledged clothing distribution operations start in the near future, we will now visit every individual tent in Zaatari Camp for assessment with ACTED, a France-based international NGO, with the coordination and cooperation of UN agencies. This assessment will clarify the exact number of refugees in the Camp, family structures, and male-to-female ratio. The data obtained from this assessment will be provided not only to UN agencies but also to other parties engaged in refugee assistance in Jordan, including those from Japan, thus making even more effective assistance to be expected in the future.

Voices of Children in Zaatari Camp

UNICEF has built a primary school in Zaatari Camp and the lessons formally started on October 4. The school is currently running on a double-shift system with mornings for girls and afternoons for boys. Arrangements between UNICEF and the Jordanian Government are also underway so that the refugee children will be able to use the credits they have obtained in Jordan in their home country of Syria when they go back there in the future.

At the school, we could see so many smiles on the faces of the children and they were enjoying talking and laughing with their friends. “Lessons have just started and the atmosphere is not quite like a school yet, but I’m really glad I can play with my friends safely,” a fifth-grade girl said. (A fence is installed around the school and the school guards are on duty.) “I can now spend time with my friends and I’m enjoying it,” another girl in the second grade said.

We visited the school during the morning when the school was being used by the girls, but we could also see many boys waiting in front of the school gate, suggesting they were looking forward for the school to start.

Some children even spoke to us and we were able to spend some time without the tension in the Camp. But as we were leaving a second-grade girl asked us with a serious look, “I’ve heard Japan is a peaceful country. Could you take us there?” and we couldn’t help thinking that children should also have mixed feelings in their hearts behind their smiling faces. Refugee children living in the Camp can go to primary school in the Camp with no cost, and full-fledged teaching is about to start.

Initiating aid activities for Syrian refugees in refugee camp

While the number of refugees increases in the Zattari camp every day, the supply of sanitation and safe drinking water aren’t keeping up with demand and diarrhea was rampant among children for a while.
Although people live in harsh environment, it’s possible to prevent them from suffering infectious diseases or diarrhea through keeping their living environment clean and safe.
That’s why JEN has established an administration committee and will support its operations so that people living in the camp could keep their environment including water sanitary facilities clean for themselves.
JEN has initiated aid activities in the Zattari camp, the largest refugee camp in Jordan for Syrian refugees since September.
JEN, working in a group of an international officer and two local staff members, provides on-site support for people in the camp to enhance their health and quality of life from hygiene standpoint.