AMMAN: Every year during Ramadan, the festive atmosphere in Amman comes alive, and in the city’s affluent western districts, it is not uncommon for families to gather for iftars at five-star hotels, complete with lavish buffets, live music and twinkling lanterns.
Roughly 50 km north of Jordan’s capital, however, thousands of Palestinian refugees observe the holy month this year in a worn-down encampment.
Most struggle to afford food to break their fasts, and children in the camp who have only seen extravagant feasts on television screens ask their mothers: “Why don’t you cook for us like this?”
Fasting during the holy month is one of the five pillars of Islam.
In fasting, all observant Muslims are bound through a shared, deeply spiritual experience in which gratitude is instilled through the deprivation of God’s gift of food and drink.
“Ramadan is a time of unity, but it is also a time to reflect on disparity,” Maryam, a 56-year-old refugee, said when Arab News visited Jerash Camp in April.
“It is true that during the hours of fasting, we have the same feelings of hunger and thirst,” she added.
“But for the fortunate, an abundance of food is waiting for them at the end of the day. For us living in this camp, deprivation follows us all year round. So, our spiritual experiences could not be any more different.”
Jordan hosts more than 2.2 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA, and Jerash Camp (known locally as Gaza Camp) is one of many across the country.
Despite their prevailing hardships, camp residents find ways to embrace the Islamic traditions that are most important to this auspicious month.
“I enjoy Ramadan like every Muslim. We pray, we practice our worship rituals, we pay more attention to the family, and we are like an extended family in Gaza Camp,” 57-year-old Jihad said.
“For me, Ramadan means love, compassion and connection to God. It is a special time where people come together and help each other, but after that people disperse and worry about their own issues,” 75-year-old Mohammed said.
According to UNICEF in 2021, Gaza Camp is the poorest of the 10 Palestine refugee camps in Jordan, with the majority of households falling below the poverty threshold.
“We struggle particularly during Ramadan. Spending is higher because of the daily costs of preparing larger meals to break our fast and the additional food requirements of the children,” 47-year-old Hanan said.
Others, however, find that their financial woes are alleviated slightly this month.
“We receive a lot more help during Ramadan… Otherwise, we don’t usually experience this scale of support,” 57-year-old Moslih said.
Ramadan, besides being a month of fasting, emphasizes compassion, good deeds and giving to those less fortunate. It is a time of year when Muslims ramp up their charitable efforts and donate generously to humanitarian aid in places like Gaza Camp.
While refugees, many of whom depend on assistance to stay afloat, expressed their gratitude to donors, they also highlighted the fatal flaws in philanthropy that limit its effectiveness.
Mohammed claims there is a lack of credibility in informal fundraisers operating locally.
“Some people collect donations on our behalf, but we only receive a portion of the proceeds. Where do the rest go?” he said.
Rana, 37, also pointed out that giving directly has its issues.
“A lot of the direct donations come in the form of food packages and coupons during Ramadan, but there is no fairness in its distribution,” she said.
“Most refugees receive aid from donors they know, but a lot of us don’t know anyone, so we’re left with nothing.
“And the large organizations end up helping people who are severely disabled, but the majority of us are struggling from unemployment,” she added.
Due to their non-citizen status, Palestinian refugees in Jordan face legal restrictions that limit their access to employment opportunities, healthcare and other social services.
“If we were provided with jobs, we would never stretch our hands out for help. Many university graduates are sitting at home, so are technicians, artisans. All of them have no jobs,” Hanan said.
