Agility has renewed its partnership agreement with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to help fund programmes supporting vulnerable refugees in Jordan and Malaysia.
The partnership renewal will support UNHCR’s outreach centre activities in Johor, Malaysia, where refugees receive shelter, healthcare, education, skills training, and other critical services. The centre, which has been supported by Agility since 2020, will assist an estimated 12,000+ refugees, most of whom are Rohingya.
Over 50 Malaysian community organisations operate out of the center, which Agility helps fund. The centres provide health, education, and other services, in addition to registering and documenting refugees and teaching community leadership and other skills.
In Jordan, Agility’s donation will help UNHCR’s Job Matching programme, linking more than 180 refugees with potential employers. Through this programme, UNHCR arranges interviews and places refugees in agriculture and construction jobs or other livelihood opportunities. UNHCR also provides mentorship and career advisory sessions as part of the programme.
Henadi Al-Saleh, Agility Chairperson, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has made an already challenging refugee situation worse. UNHCR has been active throughout the pandemic, working to help millions of refugees around the world, and we are proud to help populations that are in need in Malaysia and Jordan. Agility has been a long-time supporter of UNHCR’s activities and programmes.”
Dr. Samer Haddadin, Representative of UNHCR Kuwait Office, said, “What was difficult before the pandemic has now worsened; refugees struggle to find steady employment, have limited access to health services and lack access to education.
“With Agility’s generous support, we will be able to help refugees in Jordan find jobs to support their families, and continue outreach activities in Malaysia, and strengthen community-based protection works by expanding community outreach services in carrying out extensive works on community development, comprehensive case management and strengthening peaceful co-existence.”
Globally, Agility helps those affected by natural disasters and other crises by providing supply chain expertise and resources in collaboration with commercial partners, relief groups and international institutions.
In the past, Agility has supported UNHCR’s work in the Middle East, by assisting more than 490 Syrian refugee families (close to 2,500 individuals) through fundraising and donations.