World Refugee Day 2004: Jordan
World Refugee Day 2004: Jordan
World Refugee Day was commemorated at the Al-Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman. Addressing the audience at the ceremony, the UNHCR Representative highlighted the Jordanian government's commitment and continuous efforts to provide shelter and assistance to refugees. The event was attended by Jordanian officials, representatives of the diplomatic and UN communities, the media and several refugee representatives. UNHCR's TV spot featuring Goodwill Ambassador Adel Imam and selections of UNHCR video "Global View 2004" were shown to the audience.
Children sang songs about their homeland and elderly refugees recited poetry to Iraqi music. An exhibition of refugees' drawings and paintings was on display.
Also on exhibit were 200 photographs taken during a special photo project, involving 120 refugee children from camps at Ruweished and the no man's land between Jordan and Iraq.
World Refugee Day celebrations also took place in the camps. On 17 June, an event took place in Ruweished camp. The event included speeches by representatives of the Palestinian, Iraqi, Iranian, Sudanese and Somali refugees.
A Sudanese refugee sent a touching message that said, "I would like to send my sincere regards to all my compatriots - two million refugees from Sudan. I wish to tell them we do care for them, as well as for the others suffering in the world." Refugee children recited poems, sang songs and performed drama.