Dubai packs 50,000 schoolbags for Syrian refugee kids
dubai — Over 50,000 Syrian refugee children in Jordan will receive schoolbags packed by Dubai volunteers. As a follow-up to the Dubai Cares’ volunteering initiative that took place during the holy month of Ramadan, the charity has commenced the distribution of the bags in partnership with Save the Children.
Dubai Cares launched the ‘Back to School’ edition of its ‘Volunteer Emirates’ initiative in May 2018 to support children affected by the Syrian crisis in Jordan. In alignment with the UAE’s ‘Year of Zayed’ drive, the Dubai Cares initiative has received “overwhelming support” from the UAE community. Approximately 2,000 volunteers from all over the country came together to assemble the kits during the holy month of Ramadan.
Abdulla Ahmed Al Shehhi, chief operating officer, Dubai Cares, said: “For children affected by the Syrian conflict in Jordan, these school kits are not only important for them to start a new academic year, but it gives a hope to the deprived children affected by crises. Through this initiative, we also hope to alleviate the already very heavy financial burden on families affected by the Syrian crisis in Jordan by giving children the necessary tools they need to learn and prosper.” 2018, with 51 per cent of those being children. Although 126,127 Syrian children were enrolled in public schools during the 2016– 2017 academic year, 40 per cent of school-aged child refugees remain without an education. In Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp, which today houses more than 80,000 Syrian refugees, around 25 per cent of the camp’s 28,599 school-aged children are out of school.