David Morrissey in Jordan
David Morrissey in Jordan
David started his visit to Za’atari Camp with a briefing from UNHCR’s camp manager Kilian Kleinschmidt.
David spoke with Mohammad in his prefabricated shelter, where he lives with his wife, six children and their new baby of 14 days. The family having been living in Za’atari for the last 18 months after fleeing Syria.
David met Mohammad, a Syrian refugee and former professional footballer, who coaches the kids in Za’atari Camp. Currently 55 per cent of people in the camps are children under the age of 18.
Time for a kickabout! David limbers up with Syrian kids before kick-off. There are now 55,000 kids in the camps and only 11,000 go to school – it’s vital that kids have activities to engage in to keep them safe and out of trouble.
David bought bread from a bakery on Za’atari’s Avenue Avenue des Champs-Élysées – the bustling main road that runs through the heart of the camp.
UNHCR’s Representative in Jordan, Andrew Harper, gave an overview of the Syrian refugee crisis. Over nine million Syrians are displaced within or outside Syria and 600,000 are in Jordan.
David spoke with Abu-Ibrahim, a Syrian refugee and former businessman who has been in the camp for the last 18 months with his wife and five children. The family were forced to flee their village after they were detained and tortured. Their village was destroyed and they left alongside 50 relatives, neighbours and friends to flee to safety in Jordan.
David then met Syrian families living outside the camps in urban dwellings.
He started the day talking with Syrians queueing up at the UNHCR registration offices in Amman.
There are nearly 600,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, with 400 new arrivals crossing the border every day.
He met this young boy and his family as they queued to be registered at the UNHCR registration offices.
David met Samir and his family from the city of Homs, Syria. They were forced to flee eighteen months ago and have since been living in a basement cellar, relying on cash hand-outs from UNHCR for food and shelter.
Later, David met Mohammad and his family in the town of Azraq. Mohammad told David, “My kids cannot sleep at night – they have seen terrible things and are very traumatised.”
A tender moment as David plays with Mohammad’s son, Ali.
David met Rahad and her three daughters. The eldest, Alla, dreams of becoming an interior decorator and returning to Syria to help rebuild the country.
