The war in Syria, which started in 2011, has killed hundreds of thousands of lives. The victims are not only soldiers, but many of them are civilians. The vicious bombings, chemical weapons, and shootings in civilized areas have really taken its toll to the poor civilians of Syria. No matter how many victims there have been, the war still continues until this day. The men and women of the White Helmets have been relentlessly helping evacuate victims of the Syrian war. The White helmets are proudly giving people examples of how to be of great help in circumstances like these. Surely, watching these men and women sacrifice their own lives is an awakening for us all Thus, as neighbors just south of Syria, there is no surprise that the people of Jordan are encouraged by the brave men and women of the White Helmets.
The members of the White helmets along with their families are in great danger due to serious threats received in Syria. In July of 2018, hundreds and hundreds of White Helmets members along with their families are taken to Jordan for safety reasons. The people of Jordan have great sympathy for what is happening in Syria today. There is no reason to want to see thousands of innocent lives taken away by the brutal actions of war. For that reason, the positive intentions of the Syrian White Helmets give positive energy to the people of Jordan in wanting to help the people of Syria.
How Syrians are aided in Jordan
The hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees entering Jordan is certainly a challenge for the Jordanians. It is no secret that Jordan is going through a crisis due to the fleeing of Syrians into their country. However, Jordan has now worked together with the United Nations (UN) to help Syrian refugees. They are giving working opportunities to the Syrians. There are now thousands and thousands of Syrian refugees who have now found work in Jordan. One of the main reasons for this is because of the policy made by the Jordanian government along with the UN to secure work permits a lot easier and less expensive for Syrians.
With the help of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Jordan has also been helping the situation for refugees from Syria in other ways. Their focus is to provide shelter and take care of the young girls and women of Syria. Apart from that, they have also been providing health and medical care. The mission is to give stability and making sure refugees of Syria can live normal lives in Jordan.
Jordan has closed its borders
In July 2018, however, the government of Jordan has decided to close Jordan’s borders. Many Syrians seek to flee Syria through Jordan each day. The reason for this is to look for peace and escape the war that haunts them every day. The decision to shut the borders has been received both positively and negatively by the people of Jordan.
There are two main reasons why authorities in Jordan decided to shut the borders to their country. The first reason is that of security. With the war situation in Syria, the government fears the entrance of terrorists into their country. The risks of having terrorist entering Jordan is considered great. Having terrorist organizations in Jordan would mean that in the future anti-terrorist acts would take place in the country. The US, Israel, and other countries that are very much against terrorist would need to enter the country to swipe terrorist organizations. Now, we already know how much destruction that would cost. Previous experience shows that terrorists do fight back. That would be great damage to the country and danger to the people of Jordan. For security, the reason is understood and agreed by many Jordanians.
The second reason why the government of Jordan has shut its borders is due to capacity and accommodation. Having refugees entering Jordan would mean that they would need to provide shelter, food, and water. Many people in Jordan do confirm that water supply itself is an issue for Jordanians. It would be difficult to imagine if the government of Jordan would also need to supply water for refugees of Syria.
However, many also disapprove the decision made by the Jordanian government to shut the country’s borders. The people of Jordan who are against this decision are affected mainly due to humane reasons. Many have sympathy and empathy to the people of Syria, especially children and women. They cannot stand witnessing the children and women of Syria having to suffer through war each day.
