JORDAN: The Unity Circle Project - Experiences of Iraqi Children and Parents Living in Amman

Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq by American-led coalition forces, thousands of Iraqi children and
their families have fled to Jordan. The need for specialised services for this community is clear. In
addition to their many difficult experiences of the war in Iraq, these children and their families face a number of challenges and risks to their well-being, associated with their displacement from their home, communities and country – including economic hardship, discrimination, violence, and the effects of social, cultural and religious isolation.

While there are some wealthy Iraqi families living in West Amman, the majority live in poorer parts of East Amman. Iraqi children and youth in Jordan experience these challenges and risks to their well-being in a range of distinct ways.

To date, international development programming for Iraqi children in Jordan has focused largely on access to education, as well as the provision of basic healthcare and other forms of humanitarian assistance. After the Jordanian government allowed Iraqi children to enter their schools in August 2007, thousands of Iraqi girls and boys registered for the 2007/2008 school year. Non- governmental organisations (NGOs) are now shifting their focus from education to “child protection.”

The Unity Circle Project started in 1997, with the aim of assessing the situation of Iraqi children and families living in Amman through the use of a child-centred participatory approach, and working closely with these children to improve their situation.

Further information

pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/UnityCircleProjectReport-1.pdf

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