UAE donates millions to Syrian refugees in Jordan

Shaima Al Zarooni, chief executive of International Humanitarian City, meets Syrian refugees in Jordan. Courtesy UNHCR

ABU DHABI // More than Dh3 million has been donated to Syrian refugees in Jordan as part of the Tarahamu campaign.

The campaign, which means “compassion” in Arabic, began in December after a directive from the President, Sheikh Khalifa. The donations will benefit 2,070 Syrian families, with each family receiving a handout of about Dh1,700.

The UAE also donated 100,000 blankets to the refugees to help them cope with one of the harshest winters in recent years in the Levant.

Andrew Harper, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ representative in Jordan, said: “The winter season is not over yet and this cash will undoubtedly help those vulnerable families keep their children safe and warm during the worst of the winter.”

A delegation from Dubai’s International Humanitarian City has helped to supervise the campaign.

Chief executive Shaima Al Zarooni said: “The IHC is keen to facilitate and enable international humanitarian organisations to assist refugees and provide them with their needs to overcome this crisis.”

The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has also distributed aid to 4,000 refugee families affected by blizzards in Arsal in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.