With the assist of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Syrian refugee constructing workers on the UN Refugee agency’s Azraq camp in Jordan have constructed a COVID-19 isolation camp to assist stem the virus’s transmission.
When the essential case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Jordan’s Azraq camp in September 2020, Firas, a Syrian refugee and constructing worker, was already standing by and in a place to assist. for the rationale that starting of the pandemic, he has been working with 70 completely different refugees to assemble a quarantine website to accommodate the camp’s inhabitants ought to they take a look at constructive for coronavirus.
“The camp is completely different from a metropolis,” said Firas. “Caravans [small shelters] are shut to 1 one other and sustaining social distancing is extra sturdy than you assume. If somebody was contaminated inside the camp, then transmission is means simpler to happen. The quarantine space made it a lot safer for us.”
The Azraq camp was established in 2014 as a quick dwelling, housing forty,000 refugees — of whom almost 60% are youngsters — after the a lot greater Zaatari camp had reached its performance. Refugees inside the camp dwell in small shelters, and a household of seven will usually share one caravan, making social distancing tough.
at first of the pandemic, earlier than any constructive COVID-19 circumstances have been recorded inside the camp, the quarantine space additionally performed an very important position in serving to refugees to self-isolate after they returned dwelling from working in completely different areas in Jordan. to forestall doubtlessly spreading the virus to the the rest of the camp’s inhabitants, refugees have been required to spend 14 days in quarantine upon their return. the realm was useful in permitting them to isolate comfortably with further dwelling than they might usually have.
With assist from the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, UNHCR, the UN Refugee agency, was in a place to start out constructing the quarantine space inside the camp as early as March. Working with companions reminiscent of a outcome of the Norwegian Refugee Council, this was thought of one of many first steps they carried out to comprise the unfold of the virus.
In Syria, Firas used to work in constructing and holds a diploma from the college of Aleppo. When the battle arrived in his hometown of Hama in 2016, he was pressured to flee, alongside collectively with his dad and mom and youngsters, fearing for his or her lives. COVID-19 dramatically elevated the challenges of being a refugee in Jordan, particularly whereas dwelling in a camp.
“The previous six months have been very onerous,” Firas said. “i’ve relations outdoors of the camp, and in addition they have been telling me how simple it is to be in a refugee camp, however the very actuality is you are risking your life each time you permit the dwelling. It was additionally very heavy psychologically as properly; being in a caravan on an everyday basis and worrying about my dad and mom was very tiring.”
regardless of the challenges, engaged on the quarantine website has supplied some aid for Firas. He and his staff recently expanded the state of affairs from an preliminary 50 shelters to a hundred, growing its performance to function a lot as 500 people. up to now, the camp has had 573 circumstances of the virus, solely three of that are presently lively. collectively with the well being advantages for the broader camp inhabitants, the enchancment challenge has supplied financial advantages for refugees reminiscent of Firas.
“i’ve not labored for two years, so this was a very important alternative that obtained me and my household by way of COVID up to now,” he said. “This job has been important in masking my dad and mom’ extra medical wants and cover the wants for my youngsters.”
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The world has but to level out the web content on COVID-19, a virus that is disproportionately affecting primarily the most susceptible amongst us. The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund continues to assist efforts to battle the virus and defend the lives of refugees throughout the globe. it is the quickest and best means for people, firms, and organizations to assist the work of the World well being group (WHO) and its companions in battling the virus.
This piece was supplied by UNHCR’s Hamzeh Almomani and has been edited and printed with permission.