Shorouq started working with IOM in 2014, in the reception area of Azraq camp. As soon as refugees arrive into the camp, Shorouq is one of the IOM team meeting them to help them   understand how the camp functions and which UN agency and INGO provides which service. She also works on referring them to various protection partners as needed. 

 “In field locations where IOM is present in Jordan, most of the staff working during emergencies to provide humanitarian assistance are men. This could be because the job is challenging for an Arab woman. It requires being away from home for long hours. Sometimes the staff has to stay during the night in the reception area of Azraq working if refugees arrive to the camp late evening. This is difficult for a woman. However, it is really important to have female staff in the reception areas, as female refugees feel more comfortable as they reveal their needs and ask for support. The effects of this crisis are even stronger for Syrian women. Many of them came alone with their children and had to deal with many issues while taking care of their kids. I remember many cases of strong Syrian women who came to Azraq. My mother is a role model for me. She moved to Jordan from another country when she married my father, but she managed to find her place here without previously knowing the culture, staying far away from her family and friends. She is a strong woman. She gives me the power to face the challenges in my life.” 

Today is the International Women´s Day, and this year´s theme is women at work. IOM Jordan wants to celebrate the day by portraying the excellent work implemented by the women working with us on the front line. Since the beginning of the response to the Syria crisis in Jordan, IOM has been present at the borders and in the three main refugee camps. We have received, pre-registered and transported more than 501,000 Syrian refugees. In order to fully implement humanitarian standards, IOM deploys both female and male staff at the reception areas.  

IOM Jordan