We are all aware of millions of Syrian refugees are flocking to surrounding countries. But to what extent? These people are without a home, without their families, stuck in transit and lost.
As of January 7, the UN stopped updating the death toll of Syrians which has amounted to more than 100,000 people. The civil conflict has been ongoing for three years and displaced more than 2.3 million Syrian citizens externally, with unknown numbers out of home but still living within Syrian borders. Breathing Numbers is an organisation working to open the world’s eyes to the plight of the refugees of Syria, in camps inside and out of Jordan.
Founded by Muna Harib in 2013, the organisation began when Muna saw the media reporting simply numbers. The idea behind Breathing Numbers is to give refugees a face, a story, and to humanise them, rather than report the conflict as simply statistics. Muna explains, ‘It all started when the number of Syrian refugees crossed the million mark and I was wondering, “How I can be so detached from this tragedy, and what happened to humanity, first and foremost to my own?” So I travelled to Jordan to experience the situation there for myself and talk to the people who are affected.’
‘Breathing Numbers was initially started as a documentary project, then it grew into mobilising relief resources and now, in addition to the first two aims, we provide direct humanitarian aid and relief actions. These can range from paying medical bills to hospitals, buying wheelchairs, gas bottles and whatever is most urgently required at this moment, to regularly supporting families who are without a breadwinner. The most recent campaigns included the distribution of more than 3,000 items of children’s clothing in October, over 1,200 blankets and 200 gas heaters around UAE National Day 2013, and, most recently, the first 250 caravans to step-by-step replace all 5,000 United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) tents. Besides this, Breathing Numbers is regularly supporting a rehabilitation centre and some other facilities in Jordan.’
Muna continues to journey to Jordan to document these people, to aid them and to get their stories out there. She says she hopes eventually, Breathing Numbers will trigger a global response. Muna explains the organisation’s goal; ‘A world movement. Breathing Numbers is a human act started with the Syrian refugees to pull international interest and open channels of direct communication between them and the rest of the world to tell the true stories of those people in a way that triggers individuals and organisations’ actions toward the cause.’ It already has a 1,300-plus following on Facebook, some of which are international members. Muna continues, ‘When the time is right, and after ensuring proper world attention of the Syrian catastrophe, Breathing Numbers will continue with other communities and other causes that haven’t been so lucky in gaining the global attention needed to change the situation.’
The organisation is currently being reviewed by the government for charity status. Muna says, ‘Breathing Numbers is currently in the process of being granted registered charity status under the umbrella of a well regarded UAE non-government organisation.’
Breathing Numbers is supported in Abu Dhabi, with regular stalls donated to the charity at the Yas Marina markets on Saturdays, and Café Arabia’s souks also offer Breathing Numbers a table free-of-charge. Muna says everyone can help, ‘Donations, awareness, targeted trips, admin, design needs, events – there are so many ways of getting involved. Most people think only of the first one, the donations, and maybe, of travelling to Jordan. More than 80 percent of the work, energy and time is spent in preparing for campaigns, grass-roots activism as in the markets where the team talk about Breathing Numbers to visitors directly to raise awareness, or on social media. In all of these areas supporters can get involved with us and make a difference.
‘I think we lack a proper and realistic way of storytelling, one that would connect us to what’s happening in Syria on a personal level. One that would give us the time and space to think and react to what’s happening without being bombarded by messages that tell us what we are supposed to feel. This is why BN was created, to fill in that gap and try to give people the chance to react at their own pace and according to the way they see most fit.’
www.breathingnumbers.com. See Muna’s blog at poca-world.blogspot.ae
