Swedish furniture mega-store IKEA is planning to roll out a range of textiles and other items made by Syrian refugees living in Jordan, expected to be available in stores in 2019.
The project would provide jobs for a “healthy mix” of roughly 200 locals and Syrian refugees in Jordan, a company representative .
“In Jordan the refugee crisis is in the acute phase,” said Jesper Brodin.
“What we are looking into in Jordan, together with the Jordan River Foundation, is to develop a collection based on techniques and skills of people in Jordan,” he said.
Most Syrian refugees in Jordan live in urban areas, but high numbers are causing tensions in local communities. Source: Sam McNeil/AP Photo
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The project is part of the company’s social entrepreneur program, which works with local businesses in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sweden, Denmark and the United States.
The company has raised and donated millions of dollars to humanitarian causes through its philanthropic fund, the IKEA Foundation.
More than 655,000 Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring Jordan – the capitals of Damascus and Amman are just 200km away.
Many arrived with limited means to cover basic needs, with savings and local support networks increasingly wearing thin, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Almost 4.9 million Syrians refugees live in regional host countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey.
Roughly 6.3 million people remain internally displaced.
