600 Syrian refugee families get US$2m for shelter from ‘Big Heart’

Sharjah: With the bitterly freezing winter of northern Iraq approaching, the Big Heart Campaign announced a US$2 million donation for shelter. The donation, which was presented on behalf of the campaign’s donors by the patron, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, will put roofs over the heads of 600 families, or about 3,500 grateful beneficiaries. This will be the first taste of privacy and dignity for families who have been forced to share a single tent with several others. Over 60,000 new Syrian refugees have crossed into Iraq in the past two months alone, bringing the total to over 220,000. With the cataclysmic tragedy in Syria claiming over 100,000 lives, the flood of refugees pouring into Iraq has forced refugee camps to exceed over 300 per cent of their capacity. Domiz Camp, which was built for 15,000 refugees, now accommodates 45,000. Almost overnight, a dusty field has mushroomed into the refugee city of Kawergosk, with a population of 12,000 in just a month. Since August, the UNHCR has distributed over 5,000 family tents which more than 30,000 refugees now call home. However, with little food, healthcare and washing facilities, the camps are a ticking time bomb which only more donations can defuse. This makes the Big Heart Campaign’s US$2 million such a lifesaver, as the UNHCR will now be able to expand the campsites to serve 1,200 families. – Emirates News Agency, WAM