Last October 21, Soledad Becerril Bustamante, Ombudsman in Spain, visited the clinic of physiotherapy and rehabilitation of the FPSC in Za’atari refugee camp (Jordan), where she had the opportunity to see the work developed there, and some of the families whose children are treated there.
Together with her, were also Santiago Cabanas Ansorena, Ambassador of Spain in Jordan, Vicente Ortega, General Coordinator of the OTC Spain, Hovig Etyemezian, UNHCR Zaatari Camp Manager, and Ana Belen Anguita Arjona, UNHCR National SGBV Sub-Working Group Co coordinator.
Soledad Becerril was interested in the situation of refugees in general and specifically on the state and conditions in which people with disabilities live.
On arrival at the clinic, the team of the FPSC in Jordan formed by Maria Lopez de Haro, Chief of Mission, Arabella Lawson, Head of Child Protection and Inclusive Activities, and Nermeen Abu-abeilah, physiotherapist, told the Ombudsman the particular case of 4 children, 3 of them with cerebral palsythat at the time of the visit in the clinic. Soledad Becerril was also interested in the situation of the families of these children, and had a conversation with their parents.
Also, Maria Lopez de Haro explained that the situation among the Syrian refugees living inside or outside the camps is different. With Soledad Becerril visit to the city of Madaba, and specifically to the project that the FPSC, in partnership with APS, MPDL and RESCATE develops, could know more about these differences.
Finally, it was stressed the need to secure funding for the clinic to continue providing service, in which is currently offered rehabilitation sessions and physiotherapy for disabled refugees, mainly children with cerebral palsy and spine bifida.