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10-02-07, 9:10 am
AMMAN, 1 October 2007 (IRIN) - Ali Abdul Rahman, a 12-year-old Iraqi immigrant, joins an army of Jordanian beggars as they throng the vibrant streets of Amman in their tattered clothes, seeking a handout during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Thousands of Iraqi immigrants have seen their life savings depleted by the high cost of living in Jordan, and some - including children like Ali - have now resorted to begging.
After eating a Ramadan meal provided by philanthropists in west Amman, he goes to a busy square and sits silently in a dark corner waiting for the coins to drop.
He said his father was killed two years ago when masked men attacked their house in Adhamiyah, a Baghdad suburb, and now he has to try and help look after his mother and two sisters: "My mother cannot work. I do not want her to come and beg. I am the man of the house and must help them," he said, adding: "This waiting can last 8-10 hours a day."
Ali's case is indicative of the increasing degradation felt by many of the 700,000 Iraqi refugees in Jordan.
Outside help
Aid organisations and activists say they are aware of the Iraqis' plight, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is working on several projects to provide aid to the most needy. The UN recently appealed for US$84.8 million to help host countries, like Jordan, meet the needs of Iraqi refugees.
"We are trying to do our best in association with local partners to help the most unfortunate Iraqi refugees," said Emran Riza, a UNHCR representative in Jordan.
Some aid programmes include the provision of health care services in impoverished areas, nutrition programmes, and special services for the disabled in areas with a high concentration of Iraqi refugees such as Jabal al-Taj, Marqa and other parts of eastern Amman.
The economic downturn that has hit Jordan for the past five years, has adversely affected tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees, who are not allowed to take public sector jobs.
With few signs that the security situation in Baghdad is likely to improve in the near future, many feel stranded here, while those wanting to emigrate to countries like Australia, Canada, and Sweden are frustrated by lengthy delays.
Many Iraqis are being forced by their financial circumstances to move to poorer parts of the city where, however, there is the advantage that immigration inspectors are less vigilant than in the city centre and illegal jobs are more likely to be found.
"It is better to stay in these busy neighbourhoods, because life is cheaper and I can [illegally] get a job faster," said Emad Salem, 45, who lives in the Palestinian refugee camp of Al-Wehdat.
From IRIN News
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