The situation
Jordan is one major host country of refugees from the region.
Jordan hosts approximately 656,198 refugees(*), which amounts to about 10% of its population.
The majority comes from neighbouring countries: Syria, Palestine and Iraq.
Most refugees live outside the camps (79%) in Amman, Mafraq, Irbid and Zarqa.
A minority founds itself stuck at the border or locked in one of the five refugee camps managed by UNHCR (Za’atari being its most famous). Every camp is different in size, population and services available.
In May 2016, access to internet has been removed from Za’atari camp after two major security incidents happened in camps. It is uncertain if it will be back any time and under what conditions.
Credits: Za’atari Camp. Credits: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – www.unhcr.org
Each camp is different from one another, and access to them is strictly and exclusively reserved to authorised NGOs and the military.
Techfugees Jordan
Techfugees Jordan was launched at a tech salon organised by Soutkel and UNICEF Amman. It brought together urban refugees, main NGOs and innovators testing some innovative tech projects in Amman this August 2016. Here a non-exhaustive list of attendees and people met:
- UNICEF – refugee kids innovation programmes in collaboration with tech innovators like 3D Mena.
- Kiron university – starting to offer online courses in English that convert into local university credits
- Edraak – supported by Queen Rania and started in 2014 – provides online courses in Arabic and is looking to expand its offer of business classes and Arabic content.
- Reboot Kamp – started offering scholarships for refugees to learn how to code in an immersive 12 weeksprogramme
- 3D printing MENA – offers 3D Design training and skills to locals and refugees, to print limbs for body parts of people affected by war.
The team
Get in touch with Techfugees Jordan representative Moe Ghashim if you want to volunteer to organise events or partner.
Moe Ghashim, Saleem Najjar, Zaina Al Yahya
techfugeesamm@gmail.com
Sources:
(*) UNHCR, August 2016 – http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=107
