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MT 30 July 2017

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16 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 JULY 2017 News ZAATARI Refugee camp's fifth-year anniversary is a reminder of protracted Syrian conflict that destabilised Middle East The camp call MALTATODAY STAFF YESTERDAY, the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan marked its fifth a n n i ve r s a r y. T h e t e m p o r a r y ca mp set up f ive yea rs ago to welcome t he m a s s exo du s of ref ugees f rom t he Sy ria n wa r, is now a town housing 80,0 0 0 Syrian refugees. What started off as a peaceful protest i n Da raa i n 2 011 ha s mutated into a brutal war that forced over five million Syrians to f lee their country. Only a tiny fraction of them are in Zaatari camp, but the majorit y of the camp residents come from that village where it all started. "In the beginning there were on ly tents, w ith thousa nds of refugees arriving every day after taking the dangerous walk from Syria to Jordan. Now it is a little city of 80,000 displaced for far too long, living in caravans," said Karl Schembri, media adviser in the Middle East for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). T he c a mp w a s me a nt a s a t e m p o r a r y s o l u t i o n t o h o s t ref uge e s who wou ld s o on go back to their homes in Syria. The Norwegian Refugee Council was one of the first agencies to work in Zaatari. Today they provide shelter, distribution of essential item s, i n forma l educat ion for children and vocational training for youth. "Conditions were relatively bad, but acceptable, because we only looked for safety," Syrian refugee Anwar, from Daraa, said – Anwar was one of the first refugees to enter Zaatari camp. " We u s e d t o h a v e s h a r e d washrooms. There was no water sometimes. We had no electricity. The shops weren't there. "Now the camp is completely different. There are many more facilities and services. There are no more tents; everyone is living in prefabs. We feel more at home now." Today Anwar teaches carpentry, blacksmithing and painting in one of NRC's youth centres inside Zaatari camp. Over the last five years, NRC ha s t r a i ne d more t ha n 7, 5 0 0 Syrians in new vocational skills in Zaatari, and hosted more than 6,0 0 0 children in its education c e n t r e s . S o f a r, t h e y h a v e provided maintenance to 24,000 caravans. "They can earn an income and pay for themselves so they don't b e come a bu rden for ot hers . Vocational skills provide a safety net in one's li fe," A nwa r sa id. His son Hamzeh was born in the camp. "He do e sn't k now a ny t h i n g except for caravans and tents," Schembri continued. "W hat we care about is that these youth will one day return to Syria, and their homes will probably be damaged or destroyed. With these skills t hey ca n sta r t repa i ri ng t hei r houses instead of hiring others. Anwar's optimism is the kind of inspiration that keeps us going, and it is perhaps the one thing we should be celebrating today, on this fifth birthday of a refugee camp called Zaatari." T h i s f i f t h a n n i v e r s a r y illustrates the protracted nature of the Syrian refugee crisis. Many Sy r ia n ch i ld ren were born i n this camp and have never seen what lies beyond it. The N RC says prosperous countries should share the responsibility of hosting Sy ria n ref ugees by i ncrea si ng resettlement pledges and other f o r m s o f l e g a l a d m i s s i o n s , including family reunification. "In those early days I remember a re f u ge e f at her," c ont i nue d Schembri, "who had just arrived, totally distraught and depressed by his family's predicament. 'Will we end up like the Palestinians?' he a sked me, referri ng to t he millions of stateless people who have been unable to return to t h e i r l a n d s i n c e I s r a e l w a s established. "It was hard then and it is as hard now, for the refugees whose only wish is to be able to return home t o s a fe t y. S e ven ye a r s into the war, Syria remains for Syrian refugees around the world a n unsa fe place to ret urn to," Schembri said. Syrian refugee Anwar, from Daraa, was one of the first refugees to enter Zaatari camp and now teaches carpentry, blacksmithing and painting

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