2023-06-20 09:30:15
Khitam Amer, BBC Arabic, Jordan
20 June 2023, 09:25 GMT
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Abu Qassem, a Syrian refugee with kidney failure, had some toes in his right foot amputated as a result of the high levels of toxins in his body, due to his inability to receive the weekly sessions required for him.
Abu Qasim (Abdullah Al-Zubani), 52, never imagined that some of his right foot would be amputated about a month ago due to his inability to receive the necessary treatment for his kidney failure, in addition to his suffering from diabetes and pressure.
Abu Qasim is a Syrian refugee who lives in a modest apartment in Zarqa Governorate, in northern Jordan, with his family for a monthly rent of 110 dinars. Abu Qasim fled the war in his country, Syria, and resided with his family when he arrived in Jordan in the Zaatari camp, which is located 10 kilometers east of Mafraq Governorate in northern Jordan and is the largest camp for Syrian refugees who came to Jordan after July 2012 as a result of the war in Syria that It broke out in 2011.
Abu Qasim says: “My family could not bear to live in the camp, so I left it after about 3 years and settled in Zarqa Governorate.”
Abu Qassem tells the BBC about his suffering with his illness, saying: “I have been suffering from kidney failure for about 5 years, and I need 3 sessions of dialysis per week, and the cost of each session is about 40 Jordanian dinars, equivalent to 56.39 dollars, noting that one session has a real value of about 75 dinars.” That is the equivalent of $105.75, but we have reached an agreement with the (private) hospital now to reduce this value, and despite that, I cannot perform the required number of sessions unless I am helped by good people. He added, “I was receiving treatment at the Qatari Red Crescent Hospital in the Jordanian capital, Amman, but since the end of last year they told us that they had stopped providing treatment due to the lack of necessary support, and they sent me to a private hospital in Jordan to continue treatment.”
As for Umm Qasim, she says: “In the past, humanitarian organizations used to sponsor my husband’s treatment for certain periods, but now they no longer sponsor that, as we have been informed that the matter is related to funding conditions.” She added, “I had to take my son out of school, even though he is one of the best in studies, so that he can work anywhere and help us with his father’s treatment expenses.”
Umm Qasim also says, “Our names are documented as Syrian refugees with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, and we went repeatedly to the UNHCR to ask for help, but the UNHCR says that it is not concerned with providing treatment for this disease (kidney failure) and other diseases such as cancer.”
The role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan in providing health care to refugees
For his part, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan (UNHCR), Mishaal Al-Fayez, told the BBC: “The UNHCR does not provide treatment for kidney failure and other diseases that require long and continuous treatment, due to the very high duration and cost of treatment.” However, according to Al-Fayez, UNHCR is working to coordinate with other parties through agreements and partnerships to transfer the files of patients suffering from these types of diseases in order to provide treatment.
Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys are suddenly unable to filter waste products from the blood. And when the kidneys lose their function to carry out the purification process, the levels of hazardous waste may increase, which may cause an imbalance in the chemical composition of the blood.
Al-Fayez added, “The UNHCR is working to provide primary and secondary health care services and some advanced services to all refugees of various nationalities registered with it in health centers and government hospitals, at reduced prices according to the price of a capable, uninsured Jordanian, through an agreement with the Jordanian government. The UNHCR also works with a number of partners to provide additional health care services such as social and psychological support, etc.
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According to the UNHCR, it is difficult to determine the number of patients and those receiving treatment due to “daily changes, and the number may be misleading.”
The UNHCR recommends that the refugees maintain the validity of their documents (the asylum document issued by the UNHCR, which is valid, and the service card for the Syrian community issued by the Ministry of Interior) in order to be able to benefit from health services at reduced prices through the facilities of the Jordanian Ministry of Health.
Abu Qasim is like the case of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who are now facing harsh living and health conditions. On June 20 of each year, the world celebrates the strength and courage of people forced to flee their countries to escape conflicts or persecution. It is the day set by the United Nations in honor of the refugees, and its slogan for this year is “Hope far from home.”
In this regard, Umm Qasim says: “I hope that my husband will receive his treatment properly, because he is suffering a lot due to the lack of dialysis sessions, which has caused an increase in the level of toxins in his body and he has become very exhausted.”
“It is difficult to determine the number of patients and those receiving treatment because of the daily changes, and the number may be misleading,” says UNHCR spokesman Meshaal Al-Fayez. However, all refugees can access health services without discrimination, either through centers and clinics affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Health. (government centers) or through partners such as the international relief organization Caritas and others.
The Commission refers to a set of agreements concluded with several agencies to ensure refugees’ access to primary and secondary health care and some advanced services, including emergencies, childbirth, mental health and vaccination, as the most important partners of the Commission in ensuring refugees’ access to their right to receive health care is the Jordanian Ministry of Health, In addition to a number of organizations and institutions operating in the Kingdom.
“It is very difficult to go back to Syria.”
On the idea of their return to Syria, both spouses unanimously agree on the same answer, saying: “It is very difficult to return to our country, Syria, and specifically to our city, Daraa, due to the lack of treatment in hospitals, as there are large numbers of people with kidney failure who need dialysis sessions, just as The electricity is cut off frequently and continuously inside hospitals, which makes it almost impossible to get treatment.”
With regard to voluntary return, since the opening of the Syrian-Jordanian border crossing (Jaber-Naseeb Border Center) in October 2018, about 48,000 Syrian refugees who were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan have returned to Syria. While the borders were closed during the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, as a result of which voluntary returns were suspended for some time.
And in 2022, about 4,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan decided to voluntarily return to Syria. UNHCR works closely with the Jordanian government to monitor the return process, and over the past two years the numbers have remained stable, as the numbers of those who decide to return voluntarily to Syria range around 400 (average) refugees each month, and these numbers have not changed in 2023, according to the latest official figures and statistics. issued by the Commission.
How many Syrian refugees are in Jordan? Where are they distributed?
According to official statistics issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, the total number of refugees registered with it until the end of May 2023 is 740,762 – including 660,000 Syrian refugees. Noting that 81.7% of the refugees live in urban areas, and only 18.3% live in camps.
As for the urban areas, the refugees are distributed around the Kingdom as follows:
– Capital Governorate, Amman, 265,000, including 196,000 Syrian refugees.
Irbid Governorate: 130,000, including 129,000 Syrian refugees.
Mafraq Governorate: 86,000, including 85,000 Syrian refugees.
Zarqa Governorate: 48,000, including 45,000 Syrian refugees.
The rest of the refugees are distributed around the other governorates.
The UNHCR spokesperson in Jordan, Mishaal Al-Fayez, said that Jordan hosts refugees of 48 nationalities, as the number of refugees registered with the UNHCR is distributed between 660,000 Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, 61,000 Iraqi refugees, approximately 12,000 Yemeni refugees, 5,000 Sudanese refugees, and 600 Somalis. And 1,200 refugees of other nationalities.
When UNHCR data is added to the data of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Jordan hosts refugees from 49 countries.
image copyrightArchyde.com
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According to official statistics issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, the total number of refugees registered with it until the end of May 2023 is 740,762 – including 660,000 Syrian refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan manages 3 camps for Syrian refugees in the Kingdom, namely: Zaatari camp, which opened in July 2012 and is home to about 82,000 refugees. And the Azraq camp, which opened in April 2014 and is home to about 45,000 refugees. And the Emirati-Jordanian camp, which houses about 6,000 refugees.
There remain great challenges faced by Syrian refugees and other refugees around the world, as are the challenges faced by host countries to work as much as possible to provide them with health, psychological and social care.
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