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17 April 2003 by Till Mayer in the Ruweishid camp Ahmed has a dream and his dream is round - like a ball. He wants to become a great football player, like the guys he sees on television. The four-year-old kicks a scratched leather ball over the sharp stones and dusty ground, trying to dribble past the Red Crescent volunteer, who smiles as Ahmed’s small feet struggle to control the big ball. Seeing her son playing makes Ahmed’s mother happy. When he’s kicking the football, he completely forgets the world around him - the world of a refugee camp, full of tents and people he has never seen before. A few days ago he fled with his widowed Iraqi mother and his ten-year-old sister, Noor, from Baghdad. A bus brought them to the Jordanian border. The family had to pay US$ 700 for the trip – ten times higher than the regular fare. On their way, the children witnessed scenes of destruction: burnt-out cars and tanks and buildings in ruins. Who could explain all these the soldiers, the roar of the bombs, the chaos to them. Both were afraid in the city. Soldiers were based not far from their house. Weeks ago the family packed their bags and moved in with relatives. “Later, a rocket hit our house. Thank God, we had already left,” says Ahmad’s mother. As the frontline came closer and closer to the capital, she decided to flee with her children. Her deceased husband was Egyptian, and now the family was trying to reach his homeland via Jordan. In Iraq their home lay in ruins. The mother and her two children found shelter in the Ruweishid camp, run by the Jordan Red Crescent and supported by the International Federation. The camp lies about 65 km from the Iraqi border. The surrounding terrain may be inhospitable, with sand and stones as far as the eye can see, but the welcome inside is hospitable. The current population is around 260 people, but it can be expanded to accommodate up to 25000 people. It offers showers, toilets, a camp kitchen and ambulance services. Since the war started, around 1,000 people have passed through the camp. Most of them are third country nationals - guest workers and students who have fled the conflict in Iraq. Every day more arrive. Those who can, return as fast as possible to their countries of origin. But many – Somalis or Sudanese - want to stay as their home countries are also torn apart by civil war. These are things the children cannot grasp. Many of them were born in Iraq. They cannot understand why they had to flee and why they ended up living in a tent in the middle of the desert. The Red Crescent volunteers in the camp helping wherever they can. They can be found playing and drawing with the children in the tent that doubles as a playroom and school. Children from Somalia, Sudan or Egypt play peacefully together, without arguing or fighting. Colorful pictures hang from the canvas walls. Noor has made a lot of new friends, like seven-year-old Lula. The girl wears a bleached dress and holds a puppet in her arms. Lula enjoys laughing and she does it often. Tanya, one of the volunteers, has a lot of great ideas to keep the children smiling. Seeing the children happy is a relief for their parents. Sometimes a smile can be worth more than gold. Related links: Iraq: humanitarian crisis Jordan: appeals, updates and reports Make a donation |
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