Qatar Fund, IRC launch health project for Syrian refugees in Zaatari camp

The Qatar Fund for Development, and the International Rescue Committee have launched a project aimed at delivering primary healthcare services to over 23,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, the Jordan News Agency reported on Monday.

In partnership with Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, the IRC will provide reproductive healthcare, treatment for non-communicable and chronic diseases, and vaccination services at the Zaatari refugee camp.

The two-and-a-half-year project will also establish a health information system to manage healthcare data and enhance service delivery across three clinics.

Sultan Al-Aseeri, QFFD’s acting director general, reaffirmed the body’s dedication to ensuring a dignified life for refugees by offering essential healthcare and easy access, which he identified as crucial for developing effective primary health systems.

David Miliband, CEO of the IRC, emphasized the severe impact of declining humanitarian funding for the Jordan Response Plan for the Syria Crisis.

He highlighted how the funding shortfall had led to reduced health service availability in the Zaatari camp, compelling many humanitarian organizations to withdraw.

This situation has left more than 80,000 refugees, half of whom are children, without crucial medical services.

Nivedita Monga, the IRC’s country director in Jordan, said that studies indicated rising health needs within Syrian refugee camps, while primary health services were dwindling. She expressed her gratitude for the QFFD’s financial support, which will help extend essential healthcare services through IRC’s clinics and partner organizations to thousands of refugees in Zaatari.