Sharjah: Two years after the launch of the Big Heart Campaign, the focus on refugee children has once again been brought to the forefront with the launch of the Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) yesterday.
The new foundation was launched by Her Highness Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
The launch marks the second anniversary of Shaikha Jawaher’s appointment as UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on May 7, 2013.
It also marks two years since the launch of the Big Heart Campaign, which has helped hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugee children and families by providing emergency aid, health care, shelter, cash assistance, education and relief materials such as clothing, blankets, and food.
“The decision to transform The Big Heart Campaign into a Foundation stems from our belief in the necessity to double our efforts to help refugee children. We are expanding our support, especially to ensure that we strengthen the family and provide refugee children with an environment that is secure,” said Shaikha Jawaher.
The transformation of the campaign to a foundation will help to increase cooperation with local and regional government bodies and international humanitarian organisations and UN agencies.
“With the deteriorating conditions suffered by refugees throughout the world as a result of war, unrest and disasters and the growing risks that pose serious threats to their safety, the international community should join forces and unite their efforts to stop these tragedies that break our hearts.”
Shaikha Jawaher pointed out that the world cannot simply stand by as refugees risk their lives on unseaworthy vessels or travel vast distances by land and desert, looking for security and safety. Refugee children tend to suffer most as a result of war, and are deprived of basic human rights such as shelter, food, health care, education and psychological support.
“This tragedy requires immediate action to provide them with assistance, keeping in mind the true teachings of Islam,” she said.
The Big Heart Foundation will be able to participate in and host specialised conferences, which will build greater capacity to influence and have access to decision makers worldwide. It will also help increase financial support, enabling it to develop programmes and initiatives to support refugees in Mena and the world, and provide a better life for them.
Since its inception The Big Heart Campaign has provided life-saving medical services to over 365,000 Syrian refugees and given more than 400,000 others vital food and financial aid. During the colder winter months in Syria and its neighbouring countries of Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon the campaign provided basic essentials to children and their families such as warm shelters, blankets and clothing.
The Big Heart Campaign later focused on education as part of the drive to bring Syrian refugee children back to school after their education was disrupted by the current crisis.
A significant milestone for the Big Heart Campaign was hosting the first UN conference on the issue of refugee children in the Middle East and North Africa called ‘Investing in the Future, Protecting Refugee Children - MENA’ (IIFMENA). It brought together over 500 leaders, government officials, international experts and conference delegates with expertise in the field of refugee child protection, and held discussions and placed measures to protect the rights of refugee children and enhanced the collective efforts to improve the lives of those children.
