JORDAN: Hundreds of Syrian children from a refugee camp in Jordan fly kites carrying messages to remind the world of their plight ahead of World Refugee Day

Record ID: 274398

  • Title: JORDAN: Hundreds of Syrian children from a refugee camp in Jordan fly kites carrying messages to remind the world of their plight ahead of World Refugee Day
  • Date: 19th June 2013
  • Summary: MAFRAQ, JORDAN (JUNE 19, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP VARIOUS OF SYRIAN CHILDREN AT REFUGEE CAMP VARIOUS OF SYRIAN CHILDREN PAINTING KITES CLOSE-UP OF CHILD'S FACE YOUNG BOY HOLDING UP A KITE CLOSE-UP OF THE KITE, PAINTED LIKE THE REVOLUTION SYRIAN FLAG WITH "FREE SYRIA" WRITTEN ON IT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE FLYING KITES MOHAMAD AL ASMAR, COMMUNICATION AN
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jordan
  • Country: Jordan
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA7VBB5BKA9QSL9VOAHD5OP3CKQ
  • Story Text: Around 500 Syrian children from Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp flew kites with messages on Wednesday (June 19) to mark the World Refugee Day on June 20.
    They painted slogans onto the kites, such as "Free Syria" and "I Love You Syria", and sent them into the sky.
    Non-governmental organisation Save the Children said the purpose of the event was to remind the world of the difficult conditions Syrian children face daily.

    "As we mark world refugee day, globally, the Syrian refugee children who have suffered a lot due to this conflict are sending a message to the world, and all of them are saying, we want to return back to Syria. So our event is a way to have them participate and raise their voice, to the different world leaders, to the different people in this world, to say that they need their support to go back home and live a normal livelihood," said Mohammed Al Asmar, Communication and Advocacy Manager for Save the Children.
    The Zaatari refugee camp, located in northern Jordan, is home to over 120,000 Syrian refugees who have fled the violence in their country.
    According to camp officials, over half of the refugees here are children, most under the age of 11.
    The crisis in Syria forced these children to leave their home and all that is familiar to them behind. Some of the children said they wanted to remind the world of their plight and longed for the return of security and safety in their home country.

    "We wrote letters for the entire world to see. We want them to see the conditions in Syria. We want peace and security to return to the country, and we want them to help the people who are still there [in Syria]," said 16-year-old refugee Huda.
    Another refugee, 15-year-old Duha who fled the conflict with her family, said with conviction that her country needed help from the international community.

    "I wrote a letter for Syria. I want to help Syria. Syria needs us. We are stuck here, not able to help them. We want to help them. Our brothers are dying. Young men are dying. All of them are our brothers. We want you to help us, help us arm the Free Syrian army," she pleaded.
    Jordan maintains an open border policy for refugees and has taken in more than 500,000 Syrians out of a total 1.5 million who have fled the conflict in an exodus that has accelerated since the start of the year, United Nations officials say. They expect the number to double by the end of the year.
    Jordan is one of a number of Arab countries that has lent support to the Syrian opposition and has channelled some arms to moderate rebel groups battling Assad's forces in southern Syria.
    Like Syria's other neighbours, Jordan is increasingly nervous that the fighting will ignite a regional conflict.
    According to an annual report released by the UNHCR, Syria's war has contributed to the biggest rise in global refugee numbers since 1994, the year of the Rwandan genocide and the height of conflict in the Balkans.
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