New UK and UAE partnership for Syrian refugee camp
The UK and the UAE will work together to make sure Syrian refugee children don鈥檛 miss out on a basic education as a result of the conflict.
International Development Minister Alan Duncan announced today details of a new 拢1.78 million programme.
The partnership will help thousands of young people who have been caught up in the violence in Syria to continue their schooling 鈥� despite being forced to flee to neighbouring Jordan to escape the fighting in their own country.
The UAE has set up and is jointly running the Emirates-Jordanian Camp (EJC) for Syrian refugees, also known as Mrejib Al Fhood (MAF), near Zarqa in Jordan. The camp currently accommodates around 3,000 refugees, with more expected in coming months.
Alan Duncan said:
鈥淲eek after week, we have seen the number of refugees fleeing Syria continue to grow. Inevitably, it is children who suffer most - not only in the short term as they are forced to leave behind homes, friends and family, but also in the impact it has on their education. That not only limits their individual chances of finding work and building a better future for themselves, it also has long term implications for the generation that will be expected to rebuild their country once the conflict ends.
鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that we鈥檙e in a position to work with the UAE on this vital programme. Following the establishment of the UAE鈥檚 development ministry, this is a very apt initiative. Not only is it an investment in the future of Syrian children who find themselves victims of a conflict not of their making, it is also an investment in the future of Syria as a whole.鈥�
The new UK funding will support the UN鈥檚 children agency UNICEF in providing 6,250 school-aged youngsters with access to education in the camp school, as well as helping to recruit and train teachers. Key results include: * Provide essential school kits and supplies to 6,250 Syrian refugee children in the Emirates鈥揓ordanian Camp (EJC), including blackboards, chalk, schoolbags, desks and chairs; * Help the Jordanian Ministry of Education (MoE) recruit 209 Jordanian teachers and 36 admin staff to work in the camp; * Provide buses to transport teachers to and from EJC on a daily basis so that the teachers can reach the camp to provide education for their students; * Support for an outreach 鈥淏ack to School鈥� campaign in the camp to increase enrolment; * Provide catch-up and informal education to 1,000 vulnerable children and adolescents; * Support MoE in establishing and managing an information management system to monitor progress on education activities.
Notes to editors
- In March 2013, a new UAE Ministry for International Cooperation and Development was established.
- The UK and the UAE already have an agreement in place to work together on tackling development issues and today鈥檚 announcement follows meetings between Alan Duncan and Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE鈥檚 new Minister for International Co-operation and Development.