RELIGION-RAMADAN/JORDAN REFUGEES Syrians living in Jordan face bleak Ramadan

Record ID: 151471

  • Title: RELIGION-RAMADAN/JORDAN REFUGEES Syrians living in Jordan face bleak Ramadan
  • Date: 15th June 2015
  • Summary: MAFRAQ, JORDAN (JUNE 15, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP IN JORDAN EXTERIOR OF SHOPPING CENTRE IN THE CAMP SIGN BOARD READING (Arabic and English): "TAZWEED CENTER" PEOPLE SHOPPING AT THE CENTRE SAMPLES OF RAMADAN LANTERNS DECORATION ON LANTERN READING (Arabic): "WELCOME RAMADAN" WOMAN LOOKING AT ITEMS ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jordan
  • Country: Jordan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5F3Y5NW4G9YZ505UM0HTG5PD3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As Muslims around the world start preparing for the fasting month of Ramadan, there is little reason for celebration for Syrians living in Jordan's Zaatari camp.
    Ramadan is expected to start this week according to the Islamic calendar.
    The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to cut the level of assistance for 450,000 Syrian refugees living in Jordan, from the planned JD20 ($29) to JD13 ($ 19) per person per month due to shortage of funding, according to a statement by the WFP.
    But WFP Communication officer Joelle Eid said Syrians residing in Zaatari camp will not be affected by the cuts.
    "The longing the Syrian refugees have for their homes, their villages and their loved ones grows with every day that passes. Our priority this Ramadan is to ensure that all families in need continue to receive help from the world food programme," Eid said.
    WFP will launch an online campaign to help raise more funds.
    Eid said WFP food aid was benefiting close to two million Syrians outside Syria, and nearly four million people inside the country.
    Um Abdo has been living in the camp for more than two years since fleeing her home in Daraa. She said she still felt unsettled.
    "We feel really bad. I hope that we will be in our country. Here, whatever we do, we feel that we are strangers. What are we going to prepare for Ramadan? There is no electricity to prepare, there is no refrigerator for cold water and prices here are very high."
    Mohammad Sadqa has set up his own vegetable shop in the camp, but he said business was poor.
    "Prices here are less than at the mall (the shopping centre) but there is no great demand because of the lack of jobs. There are no jobs - people are sitting, doing nothing. There are people looking for the low-quality products in order to drink and eat. There is no eating, drinking and work and the situation is really bad," he said.
    The four-year war in Syria has killed more than 220,000 people, injured more than one million and driven almost four million out of the country.
    A total of 600,000 refugees are registered in Jordan, with most of them living in urban areas and around 100,000 Syrians in the camps, according to the UNHCR.
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