Bahrain Royal Humanitarian Foundation, UNHCR sign agreement to support Syrian refugees

AMMAN — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency signed a $1 million agreement with the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) of Bahrain to support Syrian refugees in Jordan.

The agreement was signed by UNHCR’s Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Khaled Khalifa, and Mustafa Al Sayed, Secretary General of the RHF at the UNHCR office in Amman, according to a statement from the UN agency on Tuesday 

Under this agreement, the RHF will support nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan by providing cash assistance to 253 refugee families living in urban areas (about 1,000 refugees) over the next six months through UNHCR’s cash assistance program, to secure urgent needs such as paying their rent, bills, buying food and being able to afford medication. 

It will also distribute cash assistance to about 20,000 Syrian refugee families in the Zaatari camp, to cover cooking gas expenses over the period from January to June of this year.

Khalid Khalifa applauded the agreement, commending the humanitarian role of the Kingdom of Bahrain and that of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.

"We are grateful for the trust and the partnership with the foundation, represented by the chairman of its board of trustees, His Royal Highness Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. This generous contribution is a timely one, we hope it would alleviate some of the challenges posed by the COVID19 pandemic and limited livelihoods, which are further exacerbating the living conditions of refugee families,” he said.

 “Cash assistance will enable refugee families secure their basic needs and determine their expenditure priorities in a dignified manner,” he added.

Mustafa Al Sayed lauded UNHCR’s role and the agreement, while affirming the RHF’s commitment to assist refugees and displaced persons through UNHCR’s operations.

 “It is our pleasure to support UNHCR’s humanitarian efforts by this contribution, and we hope it improves the living conditions of refugees in this time of the year, at which they face additional challenges to protect their families and children,” he said.

Jordan continues to host more than 660,000 Syrian refugees and has the world’s second-highest share of refugees compared to its population. Syrian refugees face economic and social challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, compounded with winter, which impact access to livelihoods and their ability to cover rent, food, heating and medicine expenses.