Syria Crisis: Easing the burden for host communities
Khadeeja, 30, is a mother of four. Together with her husband, who works as a blacksmith, she has three girls and one boy, all under 6 years old and another baby on the way. The family lives in Zarqa, Jordan, in a community that had a high rate of poverty even before the crisis started in neighbouring Syria.
When the crisis started in Syria and the influx of refugees followed, rent quickly tripled and became too expensive for the already-vulnerable family. They were forced to move into one room in a house that belongs to Khadeeja’s father-in-law and pay almost the same amount they used to pay in the previous tenancy. It is difficult for all six (soon-to-be seven) of them to all live in the one room, but this was the only way they could afford to survive. Although their housing expenses have returned to pre-crisis amounts other things, like food, have not. Most of the time when they make a purchase, they are forced to barter or sell other assets.
"World Vision did so much for us,” says Khadeeja.
"World Vision did so much for us,” says Khadeeja. “They visited us and examined the house, without us asking for help. They told us that our situation needed to be improved, and registered us in their programme."
Khadeeja's family used to share one toilet with all the neighbours. Their current residence does not have running water or a proper kitchen. To cope, she would collect water in bottles for different house chores and cook at her parent's house and bring food back. World Vision provided aid supplies to the family and installed basic water and sanitation facilities in their home, including a new kitchen, helping them to be able to stay healthy, clean and maintain a sense of dignity until their financial situation improves.
“Some of the most important goods given to us in winter were the mattresses, the gas heater and gas tanks,” says Khadeeja. “We were also given cash that we used to help take care of my daughter instead of exchanging gas tanks to get diapers and milk. We were provided with hygiene kits, water bottles and a water tank.”
The family also attended World Vision’s hygiene promotion classes. Hygiene promotion is essential in emergency and displacement situations, particularly when people’s easy access to water and sanitation facilities has been compromised. This affects host communities as well as refugees.
“But, with World Vision's help, I can bathe my children now,” says Khadeeja.
"We did not have a bathroom before,” remembers Khadeeja. “But, with World Vision's help, I can bathe my children now,” she adds.
World Vision’s household water and sanitation and winterisation project is funded by ECHO. The project served 11,815 individuals from 2,007 households; 7,550 people were Jordanians and 4,265 were Syrians living in the host communities.
