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The Za'atari Refugee Camp is located in Jordan (Middle East), twelve kilometres from the Syrian border. Since its opening in 2012 Za'atari has transitioned into a semi-permanent city and is now the fourth largest in Jordan. Currently housing nearly 80 000 displaced people, the basic needs of its inhabitants are met in the form of healthcare, food, water and sanitation but the gap between survival and living is obvious for all. If the severity of a conflict can, at least in some part, be measured by the amount of refugees it creates, then the Za'atari camp is a frightening reflection of just how bad the civil war is Syria has gotten (VICE, 2016).

 

In the present situation, it is too dangerous to return to Syria and there are not many opportunities to leave the camp, as such the inhabitants of Za’atari are often limited in what they spend their time doing. However the adaptions inside the camp have been astonishing. As many of the refugees are from a middle class economy, they are skilled in trade and other professions and have built an internal economy within the camp. Many of the tents are now houses, they trade with the local Jordanians, and have opened shops of their own.

 

“…the Syrian refugees have managed to carve out their own dignity inside the camp. They aren’t just taking what is given to them. They’ve created choices for themselves."

 

-Gavin White, UNHCR Jordan External Relations Officer (Excerpt from Humans of New York: Stories

 

Education Snapshot:

• 3 schools operate in the camp

• Girls study in the morning, boys in the afternoon

• Estimated 15 500 of 28 000 school age children are enrolled

• 13% of children in Za’atari are engaged in child labour

• Total of 27 community based centres for:

  • Psychosocial services

  • Support of child protection case management

  • Recreational activities for the children

• 7 playgrounds and sport courts

 

Information from UNHCR Za'atari Refugee Fact Sheet, July 2015