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Jordan vaccinates refugees from Syria against Covid

2021-01-28T13:25:31.840Z


Well over half a million Syrian refugees live in Jordan. The UN is now organizing a vaccination campaign in the world's largest camp for refugees from the civil war country. Some are suspicious.


Icon: enlarge

Vaccination in the Al-Zaatari refugee camp near Amman

Photo: KHALIL MAZRAAWI / AFP

SPIEGEL

: How many of the around 660,000 war refugees from Syria registered in Jordan have become infected with the virus?

Carlisle

: Most of the refugees live privately in the country, and only about 120,000 are permanently in Camp Zaatari and Camp Azraq.

About 2000 people became infected from them.

That is less than the average for the population.

Around 300,000 people have been infected throughout Jordan, out of a total of ten million people.

To the person Right arrow

Icon: enlarge Photo: private / UNHCR

Lilly Carlisle

, 28, works for the UN refugee agency in Amman, Jordan.

The trained journalist documents the life of Syrian refugees who have found shelter in the two largest camps in the country.

Carlisle is from Leeds in the UK.

SPIEGEL

: Did you understand how the virus got into the refugee camp?

Carlisle

: A harvest worker got infected while working outside in September.

We had introduced strict hygiene rules early on, temperature measurements at the entrance, masks, distance.

The residents cooperated in an exemplary manner.

It was thus possible to keep the virus away for a long time.

After the first case, we significantly restricted movement at the entrances and exits.

SPIEGEL

: Now the first vaccinations are coming.

Who will benefit from it?

Carlisle

: Refugees are vaccinated like any other citizen.

You will be treated equally.

That means: people over 60 and people with chronic illnesses come first.

That is around 25 percent in the camps and a total of around 100,000 refugees in the country.

Registration takes place online; interested parties are then informed by SMS when they have the appointment at the vaccination center.

SPIEGEL

: Where does the vaccine come from?

Carlisle

: The Jordanian government bought a total of three million vaccine doses from Pfizer and Biontech and Sinopharm in China.

Part of that is a donation from Pfizer.

Anyone who wants can now register and get vaccinated.

SPIEGEL

: Three million vaccination units are unlikely to be enough.

Why was so little bought?

Carlisle

: The government's goal is to immunize 20 percent of the population as quickly as possible.

The country is following the recommendation of the World Health Organization.

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Syrian war refugees in Jordan - when they can return to their homeland is unclear

Photo: Jamal Nasrallah / dpa

SPIEGEL

: How is the vaccination accepted?

Carlisle

: As everywhere, some are suspicious here.

We have been vaccinating since the Wednesday of last week, at first there were only 20 people a day, but every day there are more, for example 34 people today.

The health workers in the camp, who have many contacts, are being vaccinated.

You will encourage the camp residents to do the same.

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Jordan's King Abdullah II vaccinated on January 14th in Amman

Photo: YOUSEF ALLAN / AFP

SPIEGEL

: In neighboring Israel, the government has come a long way with vaccinating the population.

Does that make you a little jealous?

Carlisle

: We are not in competition with Israel.

Jordan focuses on the most medically vulnerable.

SPIEGEL

: The King of Jordan, Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, has already been vaccinated.

They also?

Carlisle: It's

not my turn yet.

Too young and fortunately quite healthy, but at least already registered.

Icon: The mirror

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-01-28

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