The Order’s support for Iraqi refugees in Jordan

Since the arrival of Iraqi Christians in Jordan in 2014, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been committed to making their daily lives better. Thanks to the generosity of the Knights and Dames of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, of Caritas Jordan and of the Holy See, aid has been forthcoming in various fields, allowing them the opportunity to continue to practice their faith.

In Jordan, Iraqi refugees fleeing the war are considered “guests”, a statute that guarantees them to be safe and respected but in practice leaves them in a “grey area” from a legal standpoint. In the absence of a clear legal status defining and framing their livelihoods, and given the precarious economic situation of the country, a large number of Iraqis find themselves in an extremely difficult situation.

The commitment of volunteers and numerous Jordanian families who wanted to express their solidarity, has allowed us to organize various activities that lessens by a small degree the suffering of refugee families.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem committed itself to this generosity by financing housing solutions and giving access to services generally provided by the State (schooling expenses and costs for the purchase of books and uniforms for 1100 students, transport for 745 of them and access to training courses for work for 450 students).

In addition, the Latin Patriarchate hosted the 220 Iraqi families who lived in the parishes and provided humanitarian aid to the 11,235 Iraqi refugee families, in particular with economic support, food, clothes, water, medicines, hospital and transport costs...

This aid project for refugees started in 2014 and it also aims to give refugees the opportunity to preserve their Christian identity by having the opportunity to go to mass, participate in spiritual retreats, celebrate Easter and Christmas and attend concerts of sacred music.

Despite the particularly delicate economic, social and political situation of the refugees, the help offered by the members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the mobilization of various NGOs and the investment of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem allows refugees to look to the future with greater serenity and to keep the hope of a better future in the diaspora alive.

Communications Office of the Latin Patriarchate

(estate 2019)