Theo James, actor, producer, and High-Profile Supporter of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has just returned from Jordan, where he met with
refugees in the Azraq Refugee Camp and in urban areas in the capital Amman. Jordan hosts the second-highest share of refugees per capita worldwide. It is also one of the countries most affected by the Syrian crisis, hosting over 650,000 Syrian refugees registered
with UNHCR. Despite Jordan’s efforts to ensure refugees are included in health care, education, and – for Syrians – in the labour market, it cannot bear the brunt of this cost alone. Sustained funding for refugees of all nationalities in Jordan is required
to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
In his role as High Profile Supporter, Theo met with Syrian refugees to discuss the long-term impact of displacement on people who have now been refugees for
over 12 years. Reflecting on his trip, Theo said: “The scars of war are not always visible, but there is also an enormous sustained impact. For many, despair
is setting in, as they have lost their jobs and cannot provide for their families; others have taken on extremely high debts and face the threat
of being evicted. It is as if they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. All this while trying to cope with the trauma of war and loss.”
Theo went onto say:
“During World War II, my grandfather worked for the UN in Greece and was forced to flee from Athens to Damascus, Syria. It highlights that anyone can become
a refugee at any time and without the solidarity of the Syrian people my family would not have found safety “
UNHCR is struggling to fund its activities in Jordan for 2023. As a result of projected funding challenges for the refugee response in Jordan, UNHCR had already
reduced its programme when planning for 2023. Refugee children are at heightened risk of missing out on school, good nutrition, child abuse, violence, neglect, child marriage and child labour. At the same time, refugee women and girls also face a major risk
of gender-based violence.
UNHCR is responding to more emergencies than ever. Only in 2022, thirty-five new emergencies were declared, while others –such as Syria- have not gone away.
The mounting global threats and diminishing humanitarian budgets widen the gap between available resources and needs. UNHCR calls for more solidarity from the donor community, as countries with the most limited economic means host the most displaced people
and need more help. People can find out more about UNHCR’s work with Syrian refugees and donate at:
www.unrefugees.org.uk
Theo James has supported UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, since 2016. He has travelled to Greece to learn about UNHCR´s work and the situation of refugees. In
2016, there were 170,000 new refugee arrivals in Greece. He also travelled to Strasbourg to reunite with Housan, one of the refugees he met in Greece, to learn how he was resettling in France.
