The efforts of JONAF members from local associations are renewed, proving that they are the most able to touch upon the needs of their communities and cater to them properly, especially with regard to the distribution of aid and commitment to humanitarian standards, as well as getting access to beneficiaries such as the elderly and people with disabilities, which brought joy to the hearts of hundreds of families.

With the generous support of Islamic Aid France, which began its partnership and cooperation with the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), General Coordinator of the Jordan National NGO Forum (JONAF), 12 years ago, to support the most vulnerable groups of Jordanians and Syrian refugees, four associations recently completed the distribution of food relief aid during the month of Ramadan, where (480 families) benefited from this assistance at the rate of one coupon (50 dinars) per family, distributed in different parts of the Kingdom, as follows:  Khawla Bint Al-Azwar Association in Zarqa, Abu Alanda Association for Social Development in Amman, the Al-Keram Association for Underprivileged Families and Orphans in Mafraq, and the Al-Rafid women’s agricultural Society in Irbid.

According to the priorities of JONAF, local needs, and its ability to reach and coordinate with the most vulnerable families in their communities,  as well as what’s shown by the implementing agencies, these local associations (who are members of JONAF) were selected to distribute aid during the month of Ramadan and before Eid al-Fitr, all in the context of ensuring the achievement of the principle of inclusive social justice and promoting the spirit of solidarity among the different groups of society.

Over the past years, ARDD has built the capacity of workers in these associations and developed their skills in order to activate the localization of humanitarian work and enhance their capabilities to reach groups in need of relief assistance, whether in the winter season or even in other seasons and conditions such as holidays, the month of Ramadan, or in emergent crises, including climate change.

In the same context, ARDD appreciates the role of local associations that are best able to touch upon the needs of their communities, stressing the importance of providing support to national actors and enabling them to prepare to deal with any emergency or seasonal repercussions and reach all governorates of the Kingdom, while also emphasizing the role of the government and the international donor community in creating an enabling environment that supports and backs up local civil society. The organization also appreciates the cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development and its directorates in the governorates and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) in implementing relief projects.

On  the great impact of this assistance on individuals, the  President of the Association of Underprivileged Families and Orphans, Najah Oueidat, stressed the importance of these initiatives due to their role in alleviating the burdens placed on needy families, in a way that provides them with a kind of social security, which is supposed to be at its highest level in the month of Ramadan.

Abdul Ilah Al-Hunaiti, President of Abu Alanda Association and board member of the  General Union of Voluntary Societies (GUVS) in Amman, said  that distributing coupons is not just material assistance, but rather a humanitarian message that deepens the bonds of love and brotherhood in society, and brings back the smile to the faces of the needy, which achieves one of the most important goals of Ramadan and Eid, which is to spread happiness and affection among people.

Kifah Ghannam, director of the Khawla Bint Al-Azwar Association, stressed  the importance of charitable and humanitarian work at this time of Ramadan amid the deteriorating living conditions, especially in light of the high prices of many commodities, pointing out that aid does not solve the problem of needy families, but rather contributes to alleviating it.

The Director of the Al-Rafid Women’s Agricultural Society, Wedad Obeidat, did not hesitate to emphasize the need for continuous support for these initiatives and projects, which are still important due to the growing needs of the communities affected by the successive crises witnessed by the Kingdom and the region in general, calling for more

cooperation between all local and foreign parties to reach the largest number of families.

Accordingly, it is necessary to increase cooperation and activate the localization of humanitarian work and integration between the role of civil society, the government, and donors, in addition to building the capacities of workers in these associations, developing their skills, enhancing their capabilities to reach the most underprivileged and most needy groups in our communities, as well as supporting initiatives that improve the livelihoods of local communities.

"Islamic Aid France" is a humanitarian organization that annually implements emergency interventions, development projects, and the fight against poverty to help the most vulnerable groups in approximately 20 countries, both in France and at the international level, while implementing advocacy campaigns to make thed voices of these groups heard. In Jordan, Islamic Aid France began its humanitarian work in 2013 in cooperation with ARDD in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, and has since provided seasonal relief projects, such as distributing aid packages and food coupons during the month of Ramadan and  feasts of sacrifice on Eid al-Adha.