News & Events
Watch A Plate for All's new video by Bridgette Auger
Iraq's 2nd wave of refugees in the New York Times:
Drought in Syria and its effects in the New York Times:
Our September 5th, 2010 distribution confirmed the continuing food needs of Iraqi refugees living in Hassakeh, Syria.
We have good news! A Plate for All recently carried out a successful food distribution for Iraqi families in Hassakeh, a town in northeastern Syria along the Iraqi border. We targeted families with over five members, single-parent households, and people with disabilities.
Members of our partner organization, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (GOPA), were thoroughly encouraging of our work. They said that by and large, the situation of Iraqi families in this remote region of Syria has not changed. Despite the fact that Iraq is no longer a daily war zone, the majority of refugees—having been traumatized by kidnapping and violence, and threatened with death—say that they will not return to Iraq, according to a UNHCR survey conducted this year. They clearly have good reason. In addition to this fact, refugees in Syria’s northeast must cope with a continuing drought, which has even begun to displace local Syrians. The New York Times ran a front-page story this month describing the devastating effects of the drought on the populations in this region (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/world/middleeast/14syria.html).
Though limited funding obliged A Plate for All to reduce the number of families it feeds from 350 to 170, Effram—GOPA’s point person in the city of Hassakeh—told us that the situation the refugees face is such that even if all we had to give was a single box of food it would be worth giving.
We would like to give you a picture of the setting we are working in. A Plate for All operates in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli, the two largest cities in Syria’s northeastern province, between the Iraqi and Turkish borders. Both are dusty, relatively quiet agricultural cities with packed, two or three-story buildings. We are told that the outskirts of these cities were once green, before the drought. There are approximately 1000 Iraqi families living in Qamishli and Hassakeh, so the target population for our food aid is relatively small. None of the refugees is allowed to work in Syria and most have spent the money and assets they carried with them from Iraq. Approximately 750 of these families are Muslim and 250 are Christian. GOPA surveyed this population and only two of these 1000 families responded that they are not in need of food aid.
A Plate for All aims to assist as many of these 1000 families as possible with good quality, traditional Iraqi food delivered quarterly. Refugee families continually call GOPA to ask if they too can be added to the list to receive this food aid. If A Plate for All has resources to cover them, Effram, the GOPA coordinator who receives refugee requests, goes into the neighborhoods and registers new families who fit the criteria. Effram was previously a mechanical engineer trained in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, but he returned to Hassakeh to help his hometown deal with the effects of the war and drought. He also helps us track our beneficiary pool, because the refugee population is mobile and changes somewhat between distributions.
When A Plate for All staff asked Effram if our program is useful, or if another program would be more useful, he responded: “Yes. Food—and especially good quality food—is a definite necessity. It is more necessary than anything else at the moment... At this point food is something that we can do well, and we should keep doing it.” And when asked what he sees as the most critical need of the Iraqi population, Effram responded “Good quality food.”
A Plate for All sees its role in this community as one of support. We seek to identify motivated, capable Syrians (and potentially Iraqis, if possible) and provide resources for them to carry out food security and nutrition-related projects in the community. Effram is just one example of a Syrian who has devoted much of his life to supporting the poor and marginalized in his community. He knows each Iraqi beneficiary family by name, can list the number of children in each family, and is able to talk about each family’s history. Not only does Effram provide A Plate for All with information regarding the situation in Hassakeh, but he also offers up his own life advice, reciting a favorite proverb: “A life without goals is soup.”
A Plate for All’s most recent food distribution could not have been more timely. Our distribution fell on September 5th, just six days before the end of Ramadan (the Muslim fasting month) and the beginning of a three-day feast called Eid. Because Ramadan came during such a hot, dry season, people needed all the nourishment they could get when they broke their fast at sundown. Additionally, demand during Ramadan inevitably drives food prices up, making it even more difficult for those who could not afford much food to begin with. These factors contributed to the food insecurity among the Iraqi refugee populations, and we witnessed a sense of desperation among those waiting for food. Refugees began to gather two hours before our distribution was scheduled in order to be sure of getting a box. Many came to A Plate for All staff to ask why they were not able to receive a box now, even though they received one before (and the answer, of course, was lack of funds). Still more refugees came at the end of the distribution to see if there were any extra boxes. A Plate for All was the only organization supplying food assistance in this region during the end of Ramadan.
A Plate for All’s Communications Director, Bridgette Auger, interviewed several Iraqi men and women on video and found that the consensus was that the need for food is great. She also found that, depending on family size and time of year, our food boxes supply the family for anywhere from 5-15 days (if these are the only items consumed). All agreed that the food was very good quality. This video will be posted on the website in early November, 2010.
Between war, drought, and forced unemployment, these refugees face a difficult situation. Thank you for your continued support of A Plate for All.
Members of our partner organization, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (GOPA), were thoroughly encouraging of our work. They said that by and large, the situation of Iraqi families in this remote region of Syria has not changed. Despite the fact that Iraq is no longer a daily war zone, the majority of refugees—having been traumatized by kidnapping and violence, and threatened with death—say that they will not return to Iraq, according to a UNHCR survey conducted this year. They clearly have good reason. In addition to this fact, refugees in Syria’s northeast must cope with a continuing drought, which has even begun to displace local Syrians. The New York Times ran a front-page story this month describing the devastating effects of the drought on the populations in this region (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/world/middleeast/14syria.html).
Though limited funding obliged A Plate for All to reduce the number of families it feeds from 350 to 170, Effram—GOPA’s point person in the city of Hassakeh—told us that the situation the refugees face is such that even if all we had to give was a single box of food it would be worth giving.
We would like to give you a picture of the setting we are working in. A Plate for All operates in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli, the two largest cities in Syria’s northeastern province, between the Iraqi and Turkish borders. Both are dusty, relatively quiet agricultural cities with packed, two or three-story buildings. We are told that the outskirts of these cities were once green, before the drought. There are approximately 1000 Iraqi families living in Qamishli and Hassakeh, so the target population for our food aid is relatively small. None of the refugees is allowed to work in Syria and most have spent the money and assets they carried with them from Iraq. Approximately 750 of these families are Muslim and 250 are Christian. GOPA surveyed this population and only two of these 1000 families responded that they are not in need of food aid.
A Plate for All aims to assist as many of these 1000 families as possible with good quality, traditional Iraqi food delivered quarterly. Refugee families continually call GOPA to ask if they too can be added to the list to receive this food aid. If A Plate for All has resources to cover them, Effram, the GOPA coordinator who receives refugee requests, goes into the neighborhoods and registers new families who fit the criteria. Effram was previously a mechanical engineer trained in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, but he returned to Hassakeh to help his hometown deal with the effects of the war and drought. He also helps us track our beneficiary pool, because the refugee population is mobile and changes somewhat between distributions.
When A Plate for All staff asked Effram if our program is useful, or if another program would be more useful, he responded: “Yes. Food—and especially good quality food—is a definite necessity. It is more necessary than anything else at the moment... At this point food is something that we can do well, and we should keep doing it.” And when asked what he sees as the most critical need of the Iraqi population, Effram responded “Good quality food.”
A Plate for All sees its role in this community as one of support. We seek to identify motivated, capable Syrians (and potentially Iraqis, if possible) and provide resources for them to carry out food security and nutrition-related projects in the community. Effram is just one example of a Syrian who has devoted much of his life to supporting the poor and marginalized in his community. He knows each Iraqi beneficiary family by name, can list the number of children in each family, and is able to talk about each family’s history. Not only does Effram provide A Plate for All with information regarding the situation in Hassakeh, but he also offers up his own life advice, reciting a favorite proverb: “A life without goals is soup.”
A Plate for All’s most recent food distribution could not have been more timely. Our distribution fell on September 5th, just six days before the end of Ramadan (the Muslim fasting month) and the beginning of a three-day feast called Eid. Because Ramadan came during such a hot, dry season, people needed all the nourishment they could get when they broke their fast at sundown. Additionally, demand during Ramadan inevitably drives food prices up, making it even more difficult for those who could not afford much food to begin with. These factors contributed to the food insecurity among the Iraqi refugee populations, and we witnessed a sense of desperation among those waiting for food. Refugees began to gather two hours before our distribution was scheduled in order to be sure of getting a box. Many came to A Plate for All staff to ask why they were not able to receive a box now, even though they received one before (and the answer, of course, was lack of funds). Still more refugees came at the end of the distribution to see if there were any extra boxes. A Plate for All was the only organization supplying food assistance in this region during the end of Ramadan.
A Plate for All’s Communications Director, Bridgette Auger, interviewed several Iraqi men and women on video and found that the consensus was that the need for food is great. She also found that, depending on family size and time of year, our food boxes supply the family for anywhere from 5-15 days (if these are the only items consumed). All agreed that the food was very good quality. This video will be posted on the website in early November, 2010.
Between war, drought, and forced unemployment, these refugees face a difficult situation. Thank you for your continued support of A Plate for All.
A Plate for All: 2009 in Review - December 29, 2009
The holiday season is an ideal time to count your blessings, and we sincerely thank each of you. Your generous assistance has been critical for A Plate for All’s development. With every challenge, we have been supported by your commitment to help the hungry.
The upcoming New Year marks the end of A Plate for All’s first year of operations. In 2009, A Plate for All completed three rounds of food distribution. Each round served 350 families of Iraqi refugees with about month’s supply of food. These distributions were made possible by the technical and administrative expertise of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, and the time and energy of American, British, and Syrian volunteers in Syria.
Since A Plate for All’s first distribution in April 2009, we have surveyed the Iraqi population in northeastern Syria to evaluate its context-specific needs. Each distribution provides us with a valuable opportunity to talk directly to the people we serve. Surprisingly, not all food-aid organizations ask aid recipients what they want. As we learn more about the field of food aid, we have discovered that two of our central principles—1) the local procurement of food and 2) cultural and situational adjustment—are progressive concepts in the provision of international food aid.
At the third distribution, our British colleague Matt Loffman conducted face-to-face interviews with Iraqis. Regrettably, Matt discovered from these interviews that the need for assistance is still great in these communities. Although the news cycle in America has shifted our focus away from Iraq, the Iraqi refugees in Syria still think about their embattled home every day. Just this morning, a bomb exploded in eastern Baghdad, and a string of sectarian assassinations over the weekend left four leaders dead. Many of the Iraqi refugees living in Syria received death threats that prompted them to flee their homes. In the last year, some Iraqis have started to return to Iraq, and tragically, some of those years-old death threats were fulfilled upon their return. These stories haunt the minds of Iraqis living in Syria.
Matt asked everyone he interviewed: “Are your children in school?” Schooling this generation of Iraqis in exile is critical for the future stability of Iraq and the whole region. Unfortunately, more than half of the families Matt surveyed said that their children were not attending school. The parents said that the reasons were primarily the lack of money or health issues.
Food helps. A family with little or no income will buy food before paying for their children to attend school. The family will buy food before paying for the medical care that their child needs. If we provide food for those in need, they can use their limited resources for schooling and medical care for their children, who can then grow up to be productive, educated citizens contributing to a stable and peaceful Middle East.
In our next year, we plan to expand our services and add a nutrition education component. We strive to get Iraqis involved in the aid process. This is a challenge because Iraqis are not legally allowed to work in Syria. We are confident, nonetheless, that we will find some way to engage Iraqis in the process and create a more sustainable project.
Photo by Itab Azzam 2009
The upcoming New Year marks the end of A Plate for All’s first year of operations. In 2009, A Plate for All completed three rounds of food distribution. Each round served 350 families of Iraqi refugees with about month’s supply of food. These distributions were made possible by the technical and administrative expertise of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, and the time and energy of American, British, and Syrian volunteers in Syria.
Since A Plate for All’s first distribution in April 2009, we have surveyed the Iraqi population in northeastern Syria to evaluate its context-specific needs. Each distribution provides us with a valuable opportunity to talk directly to the people we serve. Surprisingly, not all food-aid organizations ask aid recipients what they want. As we learn more about the field of food aid, we have discovered that two of our central principles—1) the local procurement of food and 2) cultural and situational adjustment—are progressive concepts in the provision of international food aid.
At the third distribution, our British colleague Matt Loffman conducted face-to-face interviews with Iraqis. Regrettably, Matt discovered from these interviews that the need for assistance is still great in these communities. Although the news cycle in America has shifted our focus away from Iraq, the Iraqi refugees in Syria still think about their embattled home every day. Just this morning, a bomb exploded in eastern Baghdad, and a string of sectarian assassinations over the weekend left four leaders dead. Many of the Iraqi refugees living in Syria received death threats that prompted them to flee their homes. In the last year, some Iraqis have started to return to Iraq, and tragically, some of those years-old death threats were fulfilled upon their return. These stories haunt the minds of Iraqis living in Syria.
Matt asked everyone he interviewed: “Are your children in school?” Schooling this generation of Iraqis in exile is critical for the future stability of Iraq and the whole region. Unfortunately, more than half of the families Matt surveyed said that their children were not attending school. The parents said that the reasons were primarily the lack of money or health issues.
Food helps. A family with little or no income will buy food before paying for their children to attend school. The family will buy food before paying for the medical care that their child needs. If we provide food for those in need, they can use their limited resources for schooling and medical care for their children, who can then grow up to be productive, educated citizens contributing to a stable and peaceful Middle East.
In our next year, we plan to expand our services and add a nutrition education component. We strive to get Iraqis involved in the aid process. This is a challenge because Iraqis are not legally allowed to work in Syria. We are confident, nonetheless, that we will find some way to engage Iraqis in the process and create a more sustainable project.
Photo by Itab Azzam 2009
July 8, 2009 - A Plate for All's second food distribution serves 350 Iraqi refugee families.
On July 8th, 2009 A Plate for All distributed a month’s worth of food to 350 Iraqi refugee families in Syria. We aim to address gaps in food aid to the Iraqi refugee population, and have identified the Hassakeh province of northeastern Syria as an area where refugees receive limited aid services and are largely unregistered for UN services.
Most of the Iraqis present at our second food distribution were familiar faces, with the exception of a few new families hoping to register for future distributions. GOPA staff took down the names of the new families, promising them that if A Plate for All’s resources expand, they will be able to receive food as well. A Plate for All and GOPA have identified at least 2,000 families in Hassakeh that could benefit from our food distribution. Therefore, we aim to increase the scale of our program model from 350 families to 500 by the October 2009 distribution, which will require a budget increase from $10,000 to $15,000 every three months.
A Plate for All’s focus on delivering basic and nutritious, traditional Iraqi food sets it apart. To ensure that we stay abreast of the food and nutrition needs of the Iraqi community, A Plate for All regularly surveys beneficiaries. When A Plate for All staff handed out an on-site survey during the most recent distribution, a young Iraqi father-of-nine named Ahmed took a form and enthusiastically wrote across it in capital letters “THANK YOU.” According to the findings of a recent survey, Iraqis in Hassakeh are in great need of quality powdered milk, which provides calcium for growing children. A Plate for All thus adapted the contents of its food boxes for the July 8th distribution. Our boxes now contain vegetable oil, olive oil, powdered milk, tuna, bulgur, fava beans, chick peas, and tomato paste.
Thank you for your interest in our work! We would love to hear from you—questions, advice, or ideas—in the coming months. A Plate for All will be conducting fundraising and awareness-raising in the US, and analyzing the results from our most recent survey in Syria in order to further develop our program model. We will keep you up to date as our program progresses.
Most of the Iraqis present at our second food distribution were familiar faces, with the exception of a few new families hoping to register for future distributions. GOPA staff took down the names of the new families, promising them that if A Plate for All’s resources expand, they will be able to receive food as well. A Plate for All and GOPA have identified at least 2,000 families in Hassakeh that could benefit from our food distribution. Therefore, we aim to increase the scale of our program model from 350 families to 500 by the October 2009 distribution, which will require a budget increase from $10,000 to $15,000 every three months.
A Plate for All’s focus on delivering basic and nutritious, traditional Iraqi food sets it apart. To ensure that we stay abreast of the food and nutrition needs of the Iraqi community, A Plate for All regularly surveys beneficiaries. When A Plate for All staff handed out an on-site survey during the most recent distribution, a young Iraqi father-of-nine named Ahmed took a form and enthusiastically wrote across it in capital letters “THANK YOU.” According to the findings of a recent survey, Iraqis in Hassakeh are in great need of quality powdered milk, which provides calcium for growing children. A Plate for All thus adapted the contents of its food boxes for the July 8th distribution. Our boxes now contain vegetable oil, olive oil, powdered milk, tuna, bulgur, fava beans, chick peas, and tomato paste.
Thank you for your interest in our work! We would love to hear from you—questions, advice, or ideas—in the coming months. A Plate for All will be conducting fundraising and awareness-raising in the US, and analyzing the results from our most recent survey in Syria in order to further develop our program model. We will keep you up to date as our program progresses.
April 7, 2009 - A Plate for All's first food distribution was a success!
After three months of initial research and planning, six months of fundraising in the US, and three months of on-the-ground coordination with our partner organization, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (GOPA), we have conducted our first round of food distribution, assisting 350 vulnerable Iraqi refugee families in Hassakeh province of northeastern Syria. Our Program Team in Syria—Bridgette Auger, Amelia Reese, Mary Shehadeh (GOPA’s Accountant), and Brian Lowe—left Damascus late Monday night, April 6th, and headed east through the desert and across the Euphrates River to arrive in Hassakeh city by early morning. Throughout the following two days we conducted one distribution assisting 225 families in Hassakeh city and another for 125 families in Qamishli.
A Plate For All fills critical gaps in humanitarian aid. We deliver traditional, locally produced, and nutritious foods that refugees do not receive from other sources and we work in areas that would otherwise lack essential aid mechanisms. Currently, each food package contains the following items: vegetable oil, olive oil, powdered milk, tuna, bulgar, lentils, fava beans, chick peas, and tomato paste.
A Plate for All delivers essential aid. According to the refugee community, next to housing, food is the most pressing need they face. When refugees have food and housing, they are more likely to send their children to school and to maintain good health—both important factors in the region’s potential for future stability. We chose to operate in Hassakeh province in response to several unique hardships facing Iraqi refugees in the area. First, Hassakeh is primarily a farming province, supported largely by its wheat crops; today, however, it continues to suffer a two-year-long drought that has driven up food prices and made it difficult for neighbors or churches to support those in need. Second, although there are around 7,000 Iraqi refugees registered in Hassakeh, there are few services provided for them (unlike Damascus).
In early May, A Plate for All and GOPA will conduct a post-operational survey consisting of interviews with Iraqis and meetings with the Syrian Orthodox Churches in Hassakeh city and Qamishli. Based on the results of this survey, we will refine A Plate for All’s program model to enhance nutritional and demographic targeting—providing the most helpful services for the most needy in the most effective manner possible.
