"I could not believe what happened in Syria. People were already suffering and now everyone has lost everything," says Syrian refugee Nour about the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. “I still have some family and friends in my home country, and although they were not directly affected, they are psychologically in distress after this catastrophe,” she added. One month after the devastating twin earthquakes in south-eastern Türkiye and northern Syria, the figures are staggering: at least 54,000 dead, 214,000 buildings collapsed or in danger of collapse, and there are still families living in tents, flimsy shelters and partially destroyed buildings. 34-year-old Nour Waleed Al Shaar is a refugee in Jordan who fled Damascus in 2013 with her husband and eldest daughter, a toddler at the time. Now, ten years later, she and her family have their home in Maan, South of Jordan, and she is a volunteer with the “Community Support Committees” that brings together host communities and refugees. The committees focus on enhancing and supporting the cohesion between both communities. Like a growing number of refugees in Jordan, Nour, too, felt it was time to act and share the little she has with others in dire need. Fatima Mohammad Saleh, a 37-year-old Syrian refugee, also wanted to help the survivors. Although she does not have much, she decided to donate to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. “A small gesture, a small action”, Fatima shrugs, “but added to other small actions, it will make a very big whole”. Fatima arrived with her family from Damascus ten years ago while pregnant with her first child and without having any relatives in Jordan. She knows first-hand what means to lose it all and receiving a helping hand in those critical moments. She volunteers at the “Women Empowerment Network” in Maan, which aim to raise awareness on women’s rights and support psycho-social wellbeing of refugee and Jordanian women and girls. The disaster caused by the two earthquakes is unseen in the area, and its consequences will probably last for years. The conditions of the survivors are now of outmost concern for the humanitarian community, including UNHCR, as more than two million people have been affected. The earthquakes have destroyed homes, livelihoods, and the local infrastructure and as the disaster occurred during the harsh winter months, families are struggling in the bitter cold and are in urgent need of shelter and relief items. “I am especially concerned about the children that lost their parents and the families that lost their houses,” Fatima says. “I feel lucky because I have a roof over my head, shoes on my feet and a place where my three kids and I feel safe,” she adds. “It’s time to take action,” she concludes. “When you put a grain of sand, it means you have done something to help”, Nour says, “even if it is only five Jordanian Dinar (some seven US$). “I do not want them to experience what I lived through”, she explains “I know what it means to live in a tent, I know what it means to lose everything and have nowhere to go.” “I trust UNHCR because I know the money will reach the right people. In my case, I am receiving cash assistance from them, so I know the funds reach those in need,” Nour stresses hinting at UNHCR providing shelter to the survivors. UNHCR is on the ground in Türkiye and Syria responding where possible with emergency supplies to earthquake survivors. In Türkiye, the provinces heavily affected by the earthquakes are also the ones in which refugees live in large numbers. UNHCR is working under the leadership of the Turkish authorities and with other UN agencies and is responding with urgently requested support to both refugees and host communities, including blankets, food packs, kitchen sets, mattresses, and tents. In Syria, UNHCR is coordinating the response with other UN agencies and humanitarian partners (including in Northwest Syria) and is delivering assistance to those in need. UNHCR has deployed tens of thousands of core relief items, including high-thermal blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, jerry cans and sleeping mats. UNHCR is also taking part in cross-border convoys bringing more desperately needed aid into North-West Syria. In addition to this, UNHCR has mobilize its stockpiles from the global warehouse in Jordan and airlifted 8,794 Tents and 2,592 blankets which have been delivered to Turkey – Adana (Incirlik mostly). The airlifts were conducted through donated flights facilitated by the Government of Jordan, Qatar, and Turkey. There are plans to ship over 1,000 tons of core relief items including blankets, kitchen sets, solar lamps, plastic sheets, sleeping mats and jerrycans.

“For the first time in my life, I started to feel a sense of responsibility, self-reliance and independence,” said 21-year-old Sireen Khaled from Amman, who got her first job in data collection and entry after completing a digital skills course supported by UNICEF.  Sireen joined the Digital Skills for a Better Future programme at the encouragement of her mother, despite some initial reluctance on her part. “I was surprised how practical and engaging the course was and the access to freelance work opportunities really helped grow my self-confidence." UNICEF’s Digital Skills for A Better Future programme, in partnership with Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) and Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), equips vulnerable youth with basic and advanced digital skills and links them with income generating opportunities in both the formal and gig economy.  “In the modern world, I think that learning English and digital skills are the most critical things we can do to improve our employment opportunities and our life in general," said Sireen. UNICEF is committed to working with and for girls and young women to bridge the gap between the skills girls need to be competitive in the 21st century, versus those they traditionally had access to.   “My message to other girls and women is think beyond the traditional path of getting a university degree,” said Sireen. “Digital skills are so important for girls in today's world and they are easy to learn! Be self-confident and persistent, regardless of the difficulties and challenges you face.”  UNICEF’s Digital Skills for a Better Future programme is generously supported by funding from Chloé, the European Union, KfW, and the Government of the Netherlands through the Prospects partnership. 

Asmahan found herself as a sole provider for her family after her husband became unemployed due to illness. With some initial hesitation, she decided to apply for a job at the Ministry of Agriculture’s site in Jerash, a city in northern Jordan participating in the MADAD project, a joint effort between the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Funded by the European Union (EU), the project aims to enhance resilient livelihoods and food security for more than 260,000 Jordanians and Syrian refugees. Through her employment, Asmahan was able to receive training and acquire valuable experience in various agricultural methods such as removing weeds to control fire hazards, soil preparation, plantation, irrigation and harvesting. For more than fifty years, WFP has been a valuable partner in Jordan, providing strategic and operational assistance to the Jordanian government, while bolstering the capabilities of national institutions, policies, and programmes. Through a diverse range of initiatives, WFP is addressing the impacts of climate change and the needs of refugees, while also providing livelihood support to the most vulnerable Jordanians. By taking on this opportunity, Asmahan not only became financially independent but also gained the confidence to express herself, obtain knowledge and share it with others. While working at the site, she connected with women from the region who inspired her to recognize her own potential and make a meaningful impact. "Being able to meet individuals outside of my close circle has given me a greater sense of confidence,” Asmahan says. "I used to live in my own bubble, but now I feel more empowered and capable of achieving anything I want." Alongside its efforts to promote economic stability and food security for vulnerable communities, WFP Jordan has introduced a novel approach to delivering entitlements to individuals involved in livelihood activities through mobile money. This allows participants to redeem their monthly entitlements via their own financial accounts (electronic wallets), becoming regular customers of Jordanian financial service providers and unlocking the possibility of using them for other financial activities, including facilitating transfers and bill payments. "You have no idea how absolutely thrilled and in full control I felt when I received my first entitlement from this project. Even my kids were so excited and asked me to buy them the stationery they had dreamed about for weeks to use at school," says Asmahan. WFP is not solely providing financial resources to vulnerable individuals to help sustain their families, but also enabling women such as Asmahan to gain self-assurance, expertise, and ownership of their financial prospects. Despite women’s high educational attainment, prevailing social norms in the country allow relatively few women to be economically active, and they are mainly employed in a limited number of sectors such as education, health and social work. "When I reflect on my previous experiences, I am inspired to apply what I've learned to build a more sustainable and profitable future. My ultimate goal is to rent a piece of land and cultivate crops that provide both a source of income and contribute to the preservation of the environment." Asmahan's experience is one of numerous examples illustrating the positive effects of WFP's activities on changing the lives of people in Jordan. Through its efforts to address climate change challenges on the ground, including land reclamation, forest and pasture development, water collection, soil protection, and conservation measures, WFP is significantly improving the lives of those most in need. Asmahan's story is a story of hope, resilience, and the power of opportunity.

While technology is rapidly advancing, potentially widening the existing digital gender gap, women and girls in Jordan choose to keep pace against all odds – they decide to power on. The Global Gender Gap report (2018) shows that 75% of jobs will be related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas by 2050. Yet, today, women hold just 22% of positions in artificial intelligence (AI) globally, to name just one. In Jordan, UNESCO revealed that females represented more than 60 per cent of students in the natural sciences, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in 2022. However, figures for female students in engineering and computer science lied around 28 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively, during the same period. While the situation in Jordan presents an encouraging picture, the need to increase women and girls’ representation across technology and innovation fields becomes more pressing than ever. As we celebrate the International Women’s Day under the theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, meet four women in Jordan who deploy technology to address challenges on different levels.   Salma powers on digital agribusiness to address water scarcity Salma Amayri, a Jordanian Electrical Engineer, utilized her education and knowledge in developing innovative systems that help farmers to reach the optimum use of water and fertilizers by delivering the precise amount of water and nutrients to plants in a timely manner. As Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, Amayri’s innovation contributes to addressing water scarcity challenge in the agriculture sector. Her innovation “Smart Irrigation and Fertigation System” contributes to save up to 30% of water consumption in open fields and up to 70% in closed systems, by providing remote control of farms' irrigation anytime and anywhere using the Internet of Things and at a competitive price. Compatible with several types of cultivations and crops, provided by "Touch Screen" with a user-friendly multilingual interface.  As a Co-founder of “Smart Green for AgriTech Solutions” startup, Amayri was one of seven startups that received training and capacity building through UNDP’s SDG climate facility project "Scaling up Water Innovation for Climate Security in Northern Jordan”. Her participation in the SDGs Climate Facility Project, provided her with the opportunity to further develop her business. Through the support she received, Salma presented her project at a side event at the MENA Climate Week in Dubai in March 2022, allowing her to connect internationally and highlighting her startup technology at the MENA region. Additionally, the project supported smart green by providing a capacity-building training including business and technical training sessions in the field of leadership, marketing, finance, and water management. Moreover, the project gave smart green the opportunity to implement a pilot for their innovative water technology at Jerash governorate, in the North of Jordan. UNDP’s SDG climate facility project aims at scaling up innovation in water management for climate security in Northern Jordan through targeting startups. The project has been running since 2021 and will be implemented over two years with the aim of strengthening the management of water resources in the governorates of Jerash and Mafraq as part of the regional SDG Climate Facility project: Climate Action for Human Security in the Arab States. According to Amayri, more women are needed at the forefront of tech to address the diverse challenges facing their communities. “It’s vital to inspire and empower next generation of female role models to create a more diverse and inclusive tech world. We need more women to be at the forefront of tech and innovation alongside the men”, said the 30-year-old entrepreneur.   Enas Radwan powers on AI to promote the recycling culture Radwan’s interest in recycling, prompted her to team up with other Jordanian entrepreneurs to develop eRecycleHUB; a social platform that provides users with a convenient, accessible and affordable tool to recycle more effectively. As Jordan faces increasing pressure on its waste management infrastructure, Radwan and her partners project, contributes to enhancing the average recycling rate, while supporting low-income communities in earning profits from recycling to positively impact their livelihood. Her interest in recycling business goes back to 2018, when she realized that there is a need in Jordan to provide recycling service and reach out to people to encourage them to preserve environment and get rewarded for their recyclables or donate them for a good cause. In 2021, she teamed up with other partners and developed eRecycleHUB platform. Users can sign up to the platform using the mobile or web application, book a collection time when eRecycleHUB’s collectors are in the relevant area and receive points for providing various forms of recyclable waste for collection. Recycling materials are thus called “social recyclables” for they can provide both environmental as well as social benefits, according to Radwan. Through her start-up, Radwan offers waste-identification AI software that identifies the recycling availability of certain waste items to increase the value of collected recyclables while also enhancing the recycling behavior of the community. Radwan received two grants from UNICEF to develop her business, and participated in the LevelUP accelerator initiative in 2021, a program by UNIDO that aims at supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, SMEs, start-ups, and organizations to build successful business models to enter global markets. The LevelUp initiative encourages a community of young women and men who are motivated to achieve an inclusive and sustainable digital transition and share their experiences of digital transformation. Radwan was recognized as one of the top entrepreneurs who completed the required phases of the program and received the title of Champions of Digital Change. ''The levelup accelerator program provided the dotted lines and interactive pathway for us to build our business from the ground up in a structured way,” said Radwan. She added that as a participant in the program, it was a great opportunity for her to receive the right support and ensure creating a validated business all in one place.   Rola and Nahid power on technology to fix home appliances For Rola and Nahid, technology literacy can be helpful at the household level. Both Rola and Nahid are currently enrolled in mobiles maintenance training funded by UNHCR and implemented by CARE in Azraq camp for Syrian refugees. “I want to master this field -Technology” said Rola, a 32-year-old mother of six. She added that she wants to rely on herself to fix devices used by her family. “Unexpectedly, I loved this field, while I thought it’s complicated. Now I won’t stop on mobile maintenance, but I want also like to learn fixing TV screens, and laptops.” For Nahid, however, she wants to be a role model for her own children in this field. “We have a duty to grow the love of knowledge in our children, that’s why I need to educate myself first.” “I was afraid to enter the technology field, and I think many women and girls are feeling the same. I’m now aiming at encouraging the females in the camp to join such activity, it is the future,” said the 30-year-old Azraq camp resident. “Technology is the future, and I want to be part of it.” Now, there are 12 female and 18 male participants in the training provided by UNHCR at the camp. UNHCR in partnership with CARE established the Technology Lab activities in Azraq camp at the community centers. The Labs are equipped with devices and access to internet, in which enables Azraq camp resident to participate in and learning courses. The technology learning programs include basic computer skills, basic coding learning, internet browsing and use.   These stories were contributed by UNDP, UNIDO, UNHCR and edited by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Jordan