Om Amer, a 70-year old Syrian refugee woman, run away from the war in Syria with her disabled injured son. She is forced to queue for long time in front of Charity Societies hoping to get something to support her minimal living needs. However, most often she returns home disappointed with empty hands. Om Amer is an example of thousands of Syrians living in Jordan after they were forced to leave their country and homes to live in Jordan, aliens and have nothing to support themselves and their needs.
Waiting and queuing for a long time is hard, either in cold or hot weather, even for the young, but for the elderly it is painful and agonizing, especially when they go back home, disappointed for not getting a thing.
In general old people become attached to their places, therefore, it is painful for them to leave their environment and they live in continuous nostalgia, which affects their lives. Having lost a son or daughter or a relative, would increase the level of pain and suffering for some Syrian old refugees. These social and personal details are usually not taken in consideration when dealing with elderly refugees.
“They give females special treatment, but we, the elderly are treated as hard as the young, if not worse” Abo Helal, another elderly said
Another 75-year old man who came to Jordan almost two years ago claimed painfully that he has not had any food basket or other needs like blankets or an oven, while others who came after him received things more than once. He complained of the snippy and tough treatment the staff in charity societies provide.
Old people do not only suffer from lack of food and minimal living needs, other so-called complementary issues are not provided, like their medications, regular check up, paying for hospitalization, dieting and heating devices, and most important emotional and social support. It is well know that stress increase in wars as it encourages the painful memories to come to surface which increase depression and feeling of hardship and helplessness.
Dr Ahmed Amer, from the Emirate- Jordanian hospital in Al-Mafraq explained to Eqtsad that elderly form a significant weak group of people in wars, as they suffer from chronic diseases, lack of social and emotional support, limited financial resources, besides losing their homes and many members of their families, their feeling of alienation in new communities beside mobility limitation and difficulties in communication. “However, we must not forget their positive effects, as they have wide experience in life and they might have witness other wars before, and they can calm the atmosphere and look after the grand children”, the doctor digressed.
Dr. Salah Qazan, the Director of relief programs for Syrian refugees in the Islamic centre in Al-Mafraq, confirmed to Eqtsad that priority is given to three vulnerable groups which are “widows, wives of martyrs, wounded and disabled, besides the elderly. “They are unable to work, so we prioritize them as they need long-term support” said.
Qazan commented that looking after old people is a moral issue and all religions and laws encourage to do so, even if the elderly live in welfare, but Syrian elderly refugees must be even treated in much better and more sensitive way as there is no one to look after them.
UNHCR find it difficult to estimate number of elderly people in Jordan, as they have difficulties in movement and they cannot be registered. However according to latest figures from Zatari in January this year showed that population were are skewed towards women and children but also a surprising number of elderly residents. More than half (54%) of the camp's 127 thousands residents were under the age of 17, 42% of families in the camp are led by a female head of household. 3% are more than 60-years old.
The post first appeared at EQTSAD. (Reporting by Al Rifai; translation by Yusra Ahmed)
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