Jordan has seen an influx of Yemeni refugees in the past five years due to the recent war in Yemen. In 2016, 5,218 Yemeni nationals made the journey to Jordan – by 2019, this number had increased to 14,631. Whilst Yemeni nationals face the same difficulties all refugee groups in Jordan experience, there is a lack of international aid for Yemeni refugees. This is because many organizations are solely mandated to support Syrians, leading to minorities being neglected and denied even the most basic of services.
Noor, like many Yemeni nationals, fled the war in Yemen on a medical visa. She and her daughters face many problems in Jordan, from limited access to financial and legal aid, education and healthcare. She shares her story below.
“My name is Noor, I’m 56 years old. I’m from Yemen. We came here, five months ago, with a medical visa for my daughter’s son. He’s much better now, thanks to God.
I live here with my two daughters. My husband passed away before we made it here.
Life is hard but we are grateful to have left Yemen – we couldn’t continue our lives there because of the war. My youngest daughter completed her last year of high school before we left but unfortunately has no way of proving she did so. The problem is, she doesn’t have a certificate that shows she completed high school. Of course, it’s impossible to contact her school in Yemen to have them send us the certificate – so she will have to retake her last year of school here. For that, we need to be registered with the UN, and all of this takes time. I’m worried about her future in Jordan.
We struggle; rent is high, Jordan is expensive, and to send my daughter to school we will need to spend a lot of money on clothes, school supplies, and so on.
I heard about CRP from my friends – they told me there was an organization that helps everyone, no matter where they are from. So I registered for food vouchers, and I recently started attending English classes. It’s a good community – that’s why I come here, I like meeting people and we feel safe at the center. I bring my grandson, who attended Summer Camp and will now go to the After-School program.
I’ve suffered from several health problems lately, including a stroke. I’m also starting to lose my hearing. All of this adds to my worries about our future, as medical care is very expensive, and to qualify for medical assistance you must first register with the UN. It’s a long process, and it is stressful.
But everyone at CRP is so good. I feel happy when I’m here – although otherwise, my life is full of worries, CRP makes me feel happy. That’s why I keep coming!”
Noor’s story is just a glimpse into the hardships refugees face in Amman, and the positive impact community-orientated assistance can make.
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