UN launches campaign to help Syrian refugees in Jordan through winter

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Program (WFP) on Monday launched a winter cash assistance program to help vulnerable Syrian families in refugee camps in Jordan during winter.

The two agencies will extend cash aid to Syrian refugees in Zaatari and Azraq camps to buy warm winter clothing for all children there. The two camps are hosting more than 110,000 refugees.

This is the second year that UNICEF and the WFP have collaborated to provide support to vulnerable Syrian children during the winter.

The one-time cash grant from UNICEF will provide 20 Jordanian Dinars each (about 28 U.S. dollars) to a total of 51,851 children under the age of 18 in the two camps.

"UNICEF's top priority during the harsh winter months in Jordan is to ensure that vulnerable families are able to keep their children warm, healthy and active, and continue to attend schools and learning program," said the UNICEF representative, Robert Jenkins.

UNICEF is reaching over 150,000 vulnerable children this winter in camps and host communities in Jordan with cash assistance and in-kind winter clothing in partnership with several partners.

To help Syrian refugees during winter, several local NGOs have also launched similar campaigns to aid Syrians in winter.

Official figures show that more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees are staying in Jordan. Endit