The recent surge of sectarian violence in Iraq has forced over one million people to flee their homes, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries. CRP has begun to receive many of these new refugees in recent weeks. These families, like all of the victims of violent conflict we serve, feel stranded. They are cut off from their past and living in extreme poverty as they await the next step.
One of the new families we have recently welcomed into our community is that of Um Waseem’s. Um Waseem fled to Amman in July with her three young children after her husband was killed in Mosul. She and her three young children, ages 2, 3, and 5, arrived in Amman with less than $500 and only the clothes on their backs. The family is currently living in a one-bedroom apartment and, until they came to CRP, Um Waseem had been spending her entire days sitting in her apartment worrying about what to do. Upon meeting Um Waseem and her children, we put the family on CRP’s food voucher program. This will at least enable her to know she can put food on the table each month.
For refugee families like Um Waseem’s, CRP’s food voucher program is a lifeline. We are so grateful for your help in enabling CRP to provide the immediate support families need for survival in Amman. As both Iraq and Syria continue to face pressing humanitarian needs, we expect to receive more and more families like Um Waseem’s.