DRC teams up with Danish foundation to provide cash assistance, hygiene kits to vulnerable individuals

AMMAN — With the goal of helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reducing the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable families in Jordan, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) have partnered in collaboration with the Government of Jordan to provide more than JD500,000 in cash assistance to medically vulnerable individuals.

According to a DRC statement made available to The Jordan Times, this new partnership offers cash assistance to 6,750 medically vulnerable individuals to enable them to pay for food, rent, utilities and essential supplies including healthcare and medication. 

The partnership will also ensure that 42,500 individuals are provided with hygiene kits containing soap, hand sanitiser, disinfectants and some other items. The project targets individuals who already suffer from chronic illnesses or are otherwise vulnerable to the virus.

Cases of COVID-19 are still on the rise in the Middle East and as countries come under lockdowns, humanitarian organisations are bracing for the threat that COVID-19 poses to vulnerable populations, read the statement.

Jordan is one of the countries most affected by the Syrian crisis, currently hosting the second highest number of refugees per capita in the world. The majority of them remain in a situation of protracted displacement with over 80 per cent living below the poverty line and many living with chronic health conditions putting them at higher risk, according to the statement.

“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for DRC’s efforts and valuable support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which helped us with the response towards the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting the urgent needs of less-privileged Jordanians and Syrian refugees,” said Omar Nuseir, Director of Humanitarian Relief Coordination at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, in the statement.

Based on an assessment conducted by DRC, it was observed that COVID-19 is having a “severe impact” on displacement-affected populations in the country, given that many of them are experiencing partial or complete loss of income.

Despite the efforts of Jordan to address the needs of these populations, it was found that their top three needs currently include food, cash and rent. Of Syrian households living in non-camp settings, 95 per cent reported having no savings, while 84 per cent reported having enough food to last for the next two weeks only, the statement said.

“I would like to express gratitude to the Novo Nordisk Foundation for their support to our efforts to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Jordan. DRC Jordan is committed to supporting the government in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable people in the country,” said DRC Jordan Country Director Stephan Deutekom.

“We are also grateful for the support of one of our partners in Jordan, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, which will distribute the hygiene kits jointly with other items to the beneficiaries,” he added in the statement.

This type of partnership is “crucial to address families’ heightened vulnerability” so they are able to protect themselves and afford their most basic needs.