Posted by ACN - Video News on 27/6/2012, 2:30 pm
Board Administrator

ACN Video News: Wednesday, 27th June 2012 – JORDAN/IRAQ Iraq: Without My Country - the plight of Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan On December 4, 2000 the United Nations General Assembly dedicated June 20th as World Refugee Day. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon upon the declaration stated: "No one wants to become a refugee. No one should have to endure this humiliating and arduous ordeal. Yet, millions do. Even one refugee forced to flee, one refugee forced to return to danger is one too many". The ancient city of Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, clings to 19 rolling hills. Amman is Jordan's political, cultural and commercial centre. The city has also become a safe haven for an estimated 500,000 Iraqi refugees, fleeing violence and economic strife in their homeland after the 2003 invasion. Many of these are Christians fleeing religious persecution from Muslim extremists. Because Jordan is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Iraqis living here are defined as guests. This means that Iraqis do not have a clear legal status or the right to work. They are not entitled to health care and their children cannot go to public schools. Often this uncertain status drags out for years as they wait for potential countries of resettlement to respond to their application. They also live in fear - that of being sent back to Iraq. To be sent back, in many cases, is a return to threats, kidnappings and even death. Please click HERE to view the short film. For more video clips please go to our Video page. Editor’s Notes Directly under the Holy See, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity – helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action. The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, Aid to the Church in Need’s Child’s Bible – God Speaks to his Children has been translated into 162 languages and 48 million copies have been distributed all over the world. While ACN gives full permission for the media to freely make use of the charity’s press releases, please acknowledge ACN as the source of stories when using the material. For more information or to make a donation to help the work of Aid to the Church in Need, please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. On Line donations can be made at www.aidtochurch.org