This World Refugee Day, anyone interested in the themes of refugees and empowerment will have the chance to take part in a Virtual Refugee Conference. This rare event will include refugees, activists and others from all over the world.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has urged donors from around the world to support the vital needs of some 3 million Syrians suffering under the global coronavirus pandemic after nearly a decade of civil war. Roughly 1.3 million Syrians are considered to have been internally displaced this year alone, while 1.7 million are freshly registering are refugees abroad.
The organisation Action Against Hunger has launched a free telephone hotline in response to the coronavirus emergency in Jordan. It offers updated information on the risks tied to the pandemic for vulnerable groups, in particular Syrian refugees.
The Danish Refugee Council has warned that the COVID-19 crisis will have devastating long-term consequences for displaced people. It wants to raise $75 million to protect these communities beyond the current pandemic.
The European Union has approved an aid package worth almost 240 million euros. The goal: To help Syrian refugees in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. Total aid from the EU fund for Syrian refugees now comes to two billion euros.
With the Syrian health care system "on its knees," according to the World Health Organization, refugee camps across the region are also facing the potential threat of COVID-19. So far, no cases have been found.
Many of the thousands of refugees fleeing persecution and violent conflict in Iraq in recent years have migrated to neighboring Jordan. But the Middle Eastern country is struggling to cope with this influx. The Catholic Church is trying to alleviate at least some of the pressure on the desert nation.
Basma, Jad and Ma'zooza are about to join the Sesame Street family. The trio of new Arabic-speaking characters will help teach children in the Middle East to read and write, as well as process the trauma of displacement.
As fighting in Syria has slowed down, refugees and internally displaced people have started returning to their former properties - only to often find bombed-out buildings where their homes once stood. Amid a staggering number of land disputes arising as a result of the war, women are sometimes resorting to desperate measures in a bid to escape destitution.
Unicef and the Lego Foundation have launched an initiative in Jordan to help young Syrian refugee children living in the country and local children. The goal: To help the youngsters learn through play, Lego brick by Lego brick.
Although Jordan is known for its pleasant weather, the winter season can be very harsh, with temperatures below zero. The Norwegian Refugee Council is on the ground in Azraq camp in central-eastern Jordan to help Syrian refugees prepare for the freezing cold.
Over one million Syrian refugees are currently believed to be living in the small kingdom of Jordan. They fled their country's raging war that started seven years ago. In the past few months, some have returned to Syria. But for many that's not an option.