Assistance and support services for Syrian refugees and Jordanians with disabilities
The project was led by AIDOS – Italian Association of Women for Development and was carried out thanks to the contribution of AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation).
The project targets the disabled Jordanian and refugee population in Amman and Zarqa and has improved the quality and accessibility of medical care services. It also set itself the goal of strengthening the capacities of two clinics of the Noor al Hussein Foundation in the field of adult disabilities.
Doctors for Peace has joined AIDOS for technical assistance activities to the specialized staff of the clinics, sending a specialist to train local physiotherapists, with a focus on adult disabilities and gender.
Project Map
The context
The conflict in Syria has created the biggest humanitarian crisis in decades. According to the UNHCR, as of 13 January 2019, 671,551 Syrian refugees are registered in Jordan, while the number of those who are not registered is not known, but according to Jordanian government estimates, 1.25 million Syrians are in the country for various reasons. The governorates of Amman and Zarqa host almost 50% of Syrian refugees.
A February 2018 measure abolished subsidized health services for Syrians living in Jordan, who now have to pay 80% of the “foreign tariff.” Syrian refugees, and children in particular, face significant difficulties in accessing essential health services.
Studies estimate that between 11 and 15 percent of the Jordanian population suffers from some type of disability, only 12 percent of adults have a job, and 79 percent of school-age children do not have access to education. Among the refugee population, the figure relating to the incidence of disability would rise to 22%.
Disabled women and refugees may face specific difficulties due to the intersection of gender, disability and displacement.
There are also difficulties in accessing rehabilitation services, including related to the cost of transport for people with disabilities, and the quality and diversity of rehabilitation services are limited.
This situation increases the risks of permanent harm or poor rehabilitation outcomes due to inadequate care, and is exacerbated by a lack of recognition of the rights of persons with disabilities and the presence of prejudice and discrimination against them.
Activities
The project aimed to strengthen the offer of integrated services to people with disabilities in the two clinics of Zarqa and Sweileh (Amman) managed by the Noor Hussein Foundation (NHF) which has thirty years of experience in the field, not only in the area of intervention of the project but throughout the country. Both clinics have been equipped to ensure better usability for people with disabilities.
The offer of services has been organized and differentiated according to the belonging of the population (whether local and refugees).
The clinics will offer:
– specialist services, assistive tools and physiotherapy and awareness-raising sessions;
– support for family caregivers
– rehabilitation services that will include: complete screening and general check-up; supply of hearing aids and special glasses for people with disabilities.
In total, 1,100 direct beneficiaries and 500 families of people with disabilities were reached as indirect beneficiaries.
