Winter Cash Assistance Helps Syrian Children Wrap Up Warm
NEW YORK (April 30, 2018) – Winter cash assistance enabled families in Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps to buy warm clothes for their children before freezing temperatures set in and is an effective and powerful tool to help realize children’s rights to health, education and recreation, according to a new report by UNICEF.
During the 2017-18 winterization campaign, UNICEF supported 63,002 children in Za’atari and Azraq with winter cash assistance for clothing. Families received 20 JD ($28) per child as a one-off cash assistance in October and November.
The post-distribution survey shows that over 95 percent of parents in the two camps were prepared for the harsh winter conditions this year because of the timely and effective distribution of cash assistance for children’s clothing. Most of the cash distributed – 97 percent – was spent on children’s clothing, while a small amount was spent on heating and other household costs.
The cash assistance enabled families to buy three to four winter clothing items. 95 percent of the cash distributed was injected into the local markets in both camps.
“Winter in a refugee camp is not an easy place for a child,” said Robert Jenkins, UNICEF Representative, Jordan. “UNICEF’s winter cash assistance gives parents the means to keep their children warm and protected in a dignified way.”
Since the first winter in Za’atari Refugee Camp five years ago, UNICEF has provided winterization support for children – beginning with distributions of warm clothing, shoes, baby kits and blankets and evolving into a cash distribution in 2015.
The protracted nature of the Syrian crisis has led UNICEF to design more sustainable and long-lasting solutions for children. In the refugee camps, this has included scaling up infrastructure and services for interventions such as water, sanitation and education.
In addition to this assistance, UNICEF also supported 55,000 vulnerable Syrian children outside the camps this winter with warm clothing and boots. The production of winter kits is now happening inside of Za’atari and Azraq camps, providing refugee youth with much-needed jobs.
UNICEF’s winterization campaign in Jordan is funded by the governments of Canada and the US, as well as individual donors.
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The full report is available here https://www.unicef.org/jordan/WinterizationPDMReportApril18.pdf
About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. UNICEF USA supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For more information, contact:
Sophie Aziakou, UNICEF USA, 917.720.1397, saziakou@unicefusa.org
Erica Vogel, UNICEF USA, 212.922.2480, evogel@unicefusa.org