Two months ago when we left the United States to come back to Jordan, it seemed as if the news cycle there was beginning to move on from the so-called "Arab Spring." After all, there was the long-running Republican presidential nominating marathon to cover, as well as dire global economic news from countries like Greece, and the always popular stand-off with Iran over their nuclear weapons program, among other things. Here, though, the details of the Arab Spring are still obviously important, daily news, and this was highlighted again for me yesterday with two short articles from the English language Jordan Times newspaper. Both articles deal with the kinds of details that tend to get lost amid the flash and clamor of bombs and gunfire, and both draw attention to the human consequences that such flash and clamor bring.
Around 60,000 Libyans came to Jordan as a result of the revolution against former leader Muammar Gaddafi last year, and one article reveals that hotels in Jordan have recently decided to stop accepting them due to non-payment of bills. Apparently, the hotels are still owed around 90 million Dinars. The article goes on to say that hospitals in Jordan are still owed around 100 million Dinars from Libyans who came for war related medical treatment. According to the story, around 12,000 Libyans currently reside in hotels here, and a total of around 50,000 have come for medical treatment.
Right now there are reportedly around 100,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan due to the ongoing conflict there--a number that is said to be increasing by 500 people per day. The other article reports on the growing number of them arriving with various injuries and signs of torture.
Jordan is a peaceful, stable country, but there is war and conflict almost all around it. There are 1.5 million Palestinians in Jordan classified as refugees, and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians just across Jordan's western border continues to rage. At the height of the war in Iraq--on Jordan's northeastern border--there were an estimated 750,000 Iraqi refugees here, and of course that war continues too, and many refugees remain. And regardless of the world news cycle, the Arab Spring continues into year two. Two articles printed on the same day--one about refugees from Syria, on Jordan's northern border, and one about people from far away in the north African country of Libya--serve as a reminder about those details that linger after and during the blasts of gunfire, the far-reaching consequences of war.
Around 60,000 Libyans came to Jordan as a result of the revolution against former leader Muammar Gaddafi last year, and one article reveals that hotels in Jordan have recently decided to stop accepting them due to non-payment of bills. Apparently, the hotels are still owed around 90 million Dinars. The article goes on to say that hospitals in Jordan are still owed around 100 million Dinars from Libyans who came for war related medical treatment. According to the story, around 12,000 Libyans currently reside in hotels here, and a total of around 50,000 have come for medical treatment.
Right now there are reportedly around 100,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan due to the ongoing conflict there--a number that is said to be increasing by 500 people per day. The other article reports on the growing number of them arriving with various injuries and signs of torture.
Jordan is a peaceful, stable country, but there is war and conflict almost all around it. There are 1.5 million Palestinians in Jordan classified as refugees, and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians just across Jordan's western border continues to rage. At the height of the war in Iraq--on Jordan's northeastern border--there were an estimated 750,000 Iraqi refugees here, and of course that war continues too, and many refugees remain. And regardless of the world news cycle, the Arab Spring continues into year two. Two articles printed on the same day--one about refugees from Syria, on Jordan's northern border, and one about people from far away in the north African country of Libya--serve as a reminder about those details that linger after and during the blasts of gunfire, the far-reaching consequences of war.
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