With the civil war still raging in Syria, the number of
refugees searching for safety has increased in astonishing numbers, particularly
in Za’atri, Jordan. Home to over 120,000 refugees, the Za’atri camp reflects
some of the bigger refugee problems in Jordan. Although Jordan receives a good
portion of the $800 million dollars the United States provides for humanitarian
aid in Syria, the high death toll of 93,000 people has left many refugees
uneasy. Recently during Secretary Kerry’s visit to the area, many refuges urged
the United States to instill a no-fly zone[1].
The concern is of course warranted because the numbers, the need, and the
refugees are so staggering. The United Nations projects the total number of
refugees at 1,831,024 with 629,569 refugees in Lebanon, 502,296 in Jordan,
428,198 in Turkey, 161,697 in Iraq, and 95,364 in Egypt. More astonishing still
is the fact that 2/3 of these refugees are women and children[2]-[3].
Forced with the reality that they have no home in the midst of a seemingly
infinite flux between survival and childhood, young refugees face the harsh
realities of living in a refugee camp. In a completely foreign environment, soccer,
simple and popular, can help forge an identity or at least a past time for many
of these misplaced youth. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement has
sponsored “Spirit of Soccer” in an effort to teach kids of the potential
hazards in and around the Za’atri refugee camp, such as those posed by
landmines[4].
Nonetheless, I think that the game of soccer fills in a stronger void, the
ability to feel free and young. Perhaps it’s the sandy pitch, the ball at their
feet, and the joy of scoring the perfect goal that can deflate the impact of
the guns, the fear, and the loss from the Syrian border.
For more information on the cool stuff the “Spirit of Soccer”
is doing visit their site HERE.
