New $3.5m complex for Syrian

URL: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/

Gulf Daily News, 12 Aug 2014

BAHRAIN will build a medical centre and residential complex for Syrian refugees in Jordan. The $3.5million project will be constructed in Al Azraq refugee camp - Jordan's second largest camp - and is expected to be completed within the next four months. It will feature 500 housing units that can host 4,000 people, a medical centre, schools and a supermarket. The scheme comes in line with directives by His Majesty King Hamad to provide humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing from the ongoing violence in Syria, which erupted in 2011. It is being built under the patronage of Royal Charity Organisation (RCO) board of trustees chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. "The medical centre and residential complex comes after the success of Bahrain building four schools that serves more than 4,000 students and 500 residential units in the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan," said RCO secretary general Dr Mustafa Al Sayed in a statement. An agreement for the project was signed in Amman by Dr Al Sayed and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan Powell Stronberg, in the presence of Bahraini Ambassador to Jordan Nasser Al Kaabi, United Nations Relief Works Agency in the Near East Commissioner General Peter Ford and RCO planning and projects director Ebrahim Aldoseri. It is being funded from the $20 million contribution to support the humanitarian situation in Syria, which was announced by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, earlier this year. RCO planning and projects director Ebrahim Aldoseri told the GDN work on the project will start immediately. "Work will commence immediately and the $3.5m project is expected to be completed within four months," he said yesterday. "The new residential camp has plans to accommodate 500 housing units which could take in a family of six to eight members each, with a total capacity of 4,000. "The units will be steel structures with full facilities to fight the forthcoming winter season, especially to fight the snow storms in the terrain. "All facilities like a supermarket and schools will also be part of the complex." He said the complex will compliment the Al Azraq camp, which will soon reach its full capacity. "The Al Azraq camp was opened after the Za'atari camp reached its full capacity of 120,000 people. It recorded almost a thousand refugees per day," he added. Facilities "Now, the Al Azraq camp is also facing the same situation and is soon expected to reach its full capacity, which is almost double that of the Za'atari camp." The $45m Al Azraq camp, located 100km east of Amman, is Jordan's sixth camp for Syrian refugees, which was officially opened in April. It is Jordan's second largest camp after the Za'atari refugee camp, located 10km east of Mafraq and was opened in July 2012. The GDN yesterday reported that Bahrain will soon start work on another school, a residential complex and a library in Gaza. raji@gdn.com.bh