Post by account_disabled on Mar 5, 2024 19:54:04 GMT -8
How solar energy has changed the lives of Syrian refugees in Jordan.
“Our family left everything behind and basically fled for our lives. He was too naive to fully understand what was happening, it felt like a truly horrible nightmare. I just thought it would end at some point and we'll go home."
Zahra Abbas was when she fled to Jordan from Syria in the winter of with her parents, younger brother and elderly aunt. They were among the first Syrian refugees to settle in the Za'atari camp and are still there.
Located near the nort C Level Executive List heastern municipality of Mafraq, Za'atari opened in July as the first Syrian refugee camp in Jordan and has since become a permanent settlement.
"I didn't know how long we would be here, but I didn't think it would be this long," said Abbas, now “It was almost nothing when we got here, I remember we had flashlights and a portable stove as a source of heat to get through the winter. We lived in a real tent. It was cold, dark and scary. Nothing like what it is now."
Today, Za'atari is not only one of Jordan's largest cities by population, with , inhabitants, but it is also the largest solar-powered Syrian refugee camp in the world . The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that the MW solar plant saves , metric tons of carbon emissions and $ million in fuel costs annually, compared to using generators diesel.
Residents say better access to electricity has changed their lives, but more is needed to take advantage of remote work and study opportunities. Experts say it could provide a model for expanding renewable energy in Jordan and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
syrian refugees
"Unhabitable conditions"
In the weeks after Abbas and his family settled in the camp, the population of Za'atari skyrocketed, peaking at about , in April in an area of just over square kilometers.
In its early years, the camp struggled with little or no infrastructure, while UNHCR and other international humanitarian aid groups addressed urgent daily needs such as water , food, and health services.
The lack of basic infrastructure, such as electricity, water and waste management, as well as the post-traumatic stress that many refugees were experiencing, led to several clashes, protests and attacks against aid workers.
It is now an established settlement of cabins and caravans in the middle of the desert with shops, restaurants and a small market or two.
As a long-term resident, Abbas has witnessed the change from “unlivable” conditions to a place that allows young Syrian refugees to have some autonomy over the quality of their lives and their future.
“I remember being scared. We had no walls around us, there was no proper electricity, and it got dark very early. I didn’t feel safe,” says Abbas. “Of course, it was nothing like the Syrian war, but it was not a liveable environment either. It got better over the years."
Construction of , solar panels on the Za'atari border began in April , in response to energy shortages that the underfunded UNHCR was struggling to address.
“Our family left everything behind and basically fled for our lives. He was too naive to fully understand what was happening, it felt like a truly horrible nightmare. I just thought it would end at some point and we'll go home."
Zahra Abbas was when she fled to Jordan from Syria in the winter of with her parents, younger brother and elderly aunt. They were among the first Syrian refugees to settle in the Za'atari camp and are still there.
Located near the nort C Level Executive List heastern municipality of Mafraq, Za'atari opened in July as the first Syrian refugee camp in Jordan and has since become a permanent settlement.
"I didn't know how long we would be here, but I didn't think it would be this long," said Abbas, now “It was almost nothing when we got here, I remember we had flashlights and a portable stove as a source of heat to get through the winter. We lived in a real tent. It was cold, dark and scary. Nothing like what it is now."
Today, Za'atari is not only one of Jordan's largest cities by population, with , inhabitants, but it is also the largest solar-powered Syrian refugee camp in the world . The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that the MW solar plant saves , metric tons of carbon emissions and $ million in fuel costs annually, compared to using generators diesel.
Residents say better access to electricity has changed their lives, but more is needed to take advantage of remote work and study opportunities. Experts say it could provide a model for expanding renewable energy in Jordan and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
syrian refugees
"Unhabitable conditions"
In the weeks after Abbas and his family settled in the camp, the population of Za'atari skyrocketed, peaking at about , in April in an area of just over square kilometers.
In its early years, the camp struggled with little or no infrastructure, while UNHCR and other international humanitarian aid groups addressed urgent daily needs such as water , food, and health services.
The lack of basic infrastructure, such as electricity, water and waste management, as well as the post-traumatic stress that many refugees were experiencing, led to several clashes, protests and attacks against aid workers.
It is now an established settlement of cabins and caravans in the middle of the desert with shops, restaurants and a small market or two.
As a long-term resident, Abbas has witnessed the change from “unlivable” conditions to a place that allows young Syrian refugees to have some autonomy over the quality of their lives and their future.
“I remember being scared. We had no walls around us, there was no proper electricity, and it got dark very early. I didn’t feel safe,” says Abbas. “Of course, it was nothing like the Syrian war, but it was not a liveable environment either. It got better over the years."
Construction of , solar panels on the Za'atari border began in April , in response to energy shortages that the underfunded UNHCR was struggling to address.