Abu Dhabi, (UNHCR) – The International Humanitarian City has donated one million US Dollars in emergency cash assistance to assist some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugee families living in Jordan.

The generous donation, which came as part of the UAE’s “Tarahamou” campaign, will benefit 2,070 of the most vulnerable Syrian families, whereby each family will receive $480.

Andrew Harper, the UNHCR’s Representative in Jordan, thanked the President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his ongoing support towards the humanitarian needs and for launching “Tarahamou” campaign, and HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for His follow up on the campaign and this timely and critical donation.

“We appreciate and value the generosity of the United Arab Emirates, especially at this critical time,” Harper said. “The winter season is not over yet, and this cash will undoubtedly help those vulnerable families keep their children safe & warm during the worst of the winter.”

A delegation from the UAE’s International Humanitarian City (IHC), who supervised the “Tarahamou” campaign, paid a special visit to Jordan to meet the refugees and discuss UNHCR’s priorities in mitigating the refugee crisis in Jordan this year.

Her Excellency Shaima Al Zarooni, the IHC Chief Executive Officer who headed the delegation, praised UNHCR for their efforts in helping the refugees, and affirmed her country’s commitment to providing aid to the vulnerable.

“The generosity of the leaders and people of the United Arab Emirates mirror our humanitarian commitment in supporting the humanitarian work. The IHC is keen to facilitate and enable international humanitarian organizations to assist refugees and provide them with their needs to overcome this crisis”. Al Zarooni Said: “We appreciate our cooperation with the UNHCR and we will work continuously to provide the refugees’ families with their needs”.

In addition to the cash assistance, the IHC has recently donated 100,000 blankets to Syrian refugees in Jordan. The blankets were shipped through Boing 747 aircraft, 12 hours right after the launch of “Tarahmou campaign”. The blankets were received at the camps prior to the snow storm.

During the visit, Al Zarooni met with UNHCR’s representative in Jordan, Andrew Harper, and visited some of the refugees who received the cash assistance. She also visited one of the banks where the cash handouts were taking place, as well the main refugee camps in Zaatari, Azraq and the Emirati Jordanian Camp.

The UAE is one of UNHCR’s key donors in the Gulf region. In 2014, the UAE donated a total of USD 4.9 million to UNHCR Jordan. This is in addition to humanitarian assistance provided to refugees through other channels and in other countries hosting refugees.

For more information, visit ihc.ae