Children flocked to receive treats from the volunteers. (Image: Humphrey Nemar)
As families across the UK tucked into turkey and trimmings on Christmas Day, volunteers in Jordan rolled up their sleeves to hand out vital aid to refugees who had lost everything. On a busy street in Hateen, Al-Rasaifa, British helpers unloaded hundreds of desperately needed food parcels for people who fled conflict in Palestine.
Some of those living in crude concrete homes arrived after the 1948 Palestine war, while others came more recently. There were toys and treats for the children, providing small moments of joy in lives plagued by hardship. Volunteer Zanera Hussain, 32, from Glasgow, said: “Their excitement and gratitude put a lot of things into perspective. The toys may not have cost much but seeing their smiles was an unforgettable experience.
Syrian refugees queued to receive a food parcel from SKT Welfare (Image: Humphrey Nemar)
“It was emotional seeing how little they have and it makes you value what you have more. Seeing some children with no shoes on, it’s hard to imagine how they feel.”
The Express joined six UK volunteers on a deployment with the charity SKT (Spreading Kindness Together) Welfare over the festive period.
Around 350 food boxes were also distributed on Christmas Eve at four Syrian refugee camps near the city of Mafraq, where people reside in unofficial settlements constructed on rocky terrain.
Those camps are home to thousands who escaped the brutal terror inflicted by dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Among them was Nawaf Hamdan Almosleh, 40, who now shares a tent with his wife, Model, 33, and their four children aged between nine and 14.
The family travelled to Jordan from Ghouta — where Assad’s regime carried out a horrific chemical attack that killed hundreds — in 2015.
Lying on a blanket beside a pile of medicines he needs to treat diabetes, Nawaf said: “It was just constant beating and bombing. Thankfully, we made it to Jordan safe and sound. The journey was really tough.”
He underwent surgery a week ago for an eye problem caused by his condition, but needs further surgery that the family cannot afford.
The Express spends a week with British volunteers in Jordan
Asked if they may return to Syria following the fall of Assad, Nawaf said: “Right now, no. We haven’t found anyone to help us with operations there. It’s very difficult.
“It’s a destroyed country, a place with no electricity, nothing at all there.”
He added: “My kids are young, we’re really struggling. We thank you today for the help you gave us and for delivering everything. We really appreciate this support, I’m grateful.”
Each food box weighed around 26kg and was packed with essential supplies including cooking oil, sugar, rice and pasta.
SKT Welfare also distributed bags of firewood and blankets to help families stay warm as temperatures dropped. At another camp, Sabah Ojla, 48, described the pain of separation from her children.
She fled Damascus in 2013 and has lived in the camp for nine years, now serving as the head of a settlement that houses around 200 people.
Sabah said her children, aged 23 and 18, had returned to Syria but reported that things were getting expensive.
Zanera bonded with children at the unofficial settlement near Mafraq (Image: Humphrey Nemar)
She added: “My son and daughter are my soul and my shadow. I want to go back, but I have no work. I don’t have money for the trip and my home there was destroyed.
“I’m sad that my children had to leave me but I need money to join them.” Each of the British volunteers raised more than £5,000 before travelling to Jordan to witness the impact of their generosity.
Shaeel Hassan, 24, from Reading, said: “The children we’ve met are some of the happiest I’ve ever seen and they have nothing.
“It’s humbling to see how strong and resilient they are. It has put the problems we might have back home into perspective.”
Hisham Asmar, 34, SKT Welfare’s programmes director for the Middle East, said he loves seeing people come from the UK to witness the impact of their donations.
He added: “These people left their families and came here for a reason. We hear so many stories from the volunteers — some come to forget, some parents send their children to learn about how life can be for less fortunate people.”
Nawaf and his family came from Ghouta, which was hit by chemical attacks (Image: Humphrey Nemar)
Hisham said the biggest challenge in his work is being unable to help everyone. He added: “Asking for help is not easy, and anyone who comes to ask for our help deserves it.
“People are waiting in long queues for one or two hours — sometimes in rain, snow or intense heat — just to receive a food parcel worth £40.
“These people all had lives like you and me, they had properties, cars, businesses — and they have lost everything. In a moment, your life can be destroyed.
“There are women here who have lost their husbands and suddenly have a huge weight on their shoulders. They are living in tents, and their children are hungry; they have to provide everything. It makes me think of my own children and fear for their futures.”
SKT Welfare operates in 16 countries. Deployments take place throughout the year and anyone aged over 18 can apply. You can find out more here.
