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A Decade of Za’atari Camp

If Syrians feel forgotten against today’s global list of priorities spare a thought for Syrian refugees. Inside the country the conflict lines are largely frozen, but the threat of serious violence is never far away as the tectonic geopolitics of the region move. Outside of the country the debate has been dominated for several years now as to when refugees will return home, but this is a false and inaccurate reflection of where Syrian refugees see their future.
Za’atari refugee camp is a microcosm of the story of Syria’s 5.6 million refugees. It is the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world and since those fleeing the conflict first pitched tents over ten years ago, it has grown into a sprawling town complete with 32 schools, eight health facilities and 58 community centres. Currently, close to 82,000 refugees officially live in Za’atari, of whom 40% are younger than 11 years old and have never known life outside the camp, or life in Syria. Unofficial estimates put the number of actual residents closer to 120,000.
Over a decade ago the thousands that fled the bombs and bullets could have hardly imagined that they would still be in the camp, only 12km from the border of their homeland. Yet like so many other refugees the protracted nature of the conflict has consigned them to a life in limbo, neither in one place nor the next with a future that is hard to chart. One simple fact is that they do not feel it is safe for them to go back to Syria. President Assad remains in power and the threat of detention, conscription or other forms of reprisal is very real indeed. So much so that a recent national survey found that 94% of Syrians in Jordan did not plan to return to Syria in the coming year.
Yet although these refugees are effectively stuck, theirs is not a comfortable limbo. Indeed, the rapidly increasing cost of living is combining with the steady reduction in levels of humanitarian support resulting in many falling into crippling poverty and debt. The cost of food in Za’atari, for instance, increased by 22% over just four months in 2022. Two-thirds of the school-age population at the Syrian refugee camp in Zaatari, Jordan, are receiving education, but many of those who are not are being pushed by their families into early marriage.
More than 90% of Zaatari residents are from Daraa and its neighbouring villages. Clashes in Daraa between local and national forces occur frequently and reports of a campaign of assassinations has taken out top military and civilian leadership in Daraa province despite promises from Damascus of levels of autonomous rule. In 2018, Damascus reached a Russian-sponsored settlement agreement with the factions of the opposition Southern Front. Under the agreement, opposition factions were allowed to remain in the south with their personal and medium weapons, while the regime’s administrative and service institutions resumed their work.
For such an agreement to sustain in the long-term trust would need to be forged and if the situation was genuinely more stable then you could have expected higher interest from refugees to return. The insidious disappearance of Daraa’s locals is combined by continued economic problems of their own inside Syria, let alone the wider pictures of horror that emerge from the country and stay the hand of refugees contemplating returning. A new Syrian defector has just revealed images of over 800 prisoners that were tortured and murdered in Aleppo Central Prison in 2013-14 for instance. This is being dubbed "Caesar II" -- but is just a glimmer into the true scale of the regime's killing machine and what it is capable of.
If return is not a serious option, then much more thought needs to be given to larger and more organised resettlements of Za’atari’s population to country’s far beyond the region whose hospitality has failed to meet the standards set by Jordan. Ensuring those who have known nothing by Za’atari in their whole lives a sense of hope for the future is critical in preventing the camp becoming awash with despair. Meanwhile much more support needs to be given to the Jordanian hosts themselves to incorporate the Syrian refugee population into their own economic planning, whether this is through subsidizing Syrian refugees as part of support to the Jordanian Ministry Education or more direct aid to the country in recognition of the costs of hosting such large numbers of Syrians for so long.
BY: James Denselow
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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