Refugees to Benefit from New Clinton Global Initiative Commitment

Thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing to Jordan will receive enhanced health care as the result of a new partnership announced at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York City. The joint commitment made by AmeriCares and Medtronic, Inc., was highlighted on stage during the Opening Plenary Session with King Abdullah II of Jordan in attendance. AmeriCares has pledged to provide a series of medical shipments over the coming year for Syrian refugees in Jordan with support from Medtronic, the Minneapolis-based medical device manufacturer. In Jordan, AmeriCares works with the Jordan Health Aid Society, which provides health care services at the Za’atri refugee camp and other urban centers with large refugee populations. The aid shipments will include medications to treat chronic health conditions as well as medical emergencies. “With no end in sight to the conflict in Syria, we are pledging long-term support to help host communities meet the most basic health care needs of refugees,” said AmeriCares President and CEO Michael J. Nyenhuis. “In only a short time the Za’atri refugee camp has grown to become one of Jordan’s largest cities. This commitment will help thousands of desperate families with no other means to access health services.” AmeriCares has been supporting health care services for Syrians displaced within the country, as well as Syrian families who have fled to Turkey and Jordan, since 2012. To date, AmeriCares has delivered more than $3.5 million in aid to the region in response to the crisis. The assistance includes helping partner organizations access essential drugs and urgently needed medical equipment, as well as supplying volunteer medical teams providing lifesaving medical care to Syrians in need. AmeriCares has been delivering medicines and relief supplies to the Middle East for more than 25 years in response to civil conflict as well as humanitarian crises.