UNIQLO delivers 530,000 items of HEATTECH to Jordan, home to the largest refugee camp in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world
～The Heart of LifeWear Vol.7～
Mar 19, 2025
NEWS
In February 2025, UNIQLO delivered 530,000 items of HEATTECH to Jordan at the request of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, with which UNIQLO has a global partnership. More than 70,000 people live in the Za’atari refugee camp, the largest in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world. There are about 620,000 Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR still living.
A large number of HEATTECH items were collected in a warehouse in the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. It is difficult for refugees to find work in Jordan, and many people live under extremely difficult economic circumstances. UNHCR has created jobs for volunteers who helped receive the HEATTECH items at warehouses in the refugee camps and prepare them for distribution, helping to provide financial support for refugees.
All 530,000 items of HEATTECH were sorted by size and item, prepared for distribution, and transported to three refugee camps in Jordan.
The work of distributing HEATTECH in the refugee camps was also done by refugees (paid volunteers). UNHCR conducted detailed surveys in advance of family structures and the number of people in households to determine the sizes and number of items required, ensuring that refugees receive the clothing that they need.
The people who came to the warehouse to pick up HEATTECH on behalf of their families lined up patiently, and the paid volunteers handed each person the HEATTECH items for their family. The efficient and secure distribution process was the result of UNIQLO and UNHCR’s many years of experience with clothing support activities.
Since this donation was part of the activities for The Heart of LifeWear, we were able to communicate directly about the UNIQLO brand with people who came to receive items, and also about why we were there to deliver HEATTECH. The refugees talked to UNIQLO employees, took photos, and excitedly read the description in Arabic about The Heart of LifeWear. Many refugees also joined in wearing heart-shaped stickers, smiling and saying “Jameel!” (“Nice!”).
At the same time, there are people in Jordan’s urban areas who are forced to live under even harsher conditions than in the refugee camps. UNIQLO and UNHCR, to further develop the refugee support program, are constantly working to understand their needs and exploring the potential for the power of clothing by participating in group discussions with refugees, and visiting their homes to listen to their stories. In one family we visited, the mother sat next to her husband who was sick and unable to speak. She was emotional as she told us about their hardships such as the severe cold in their aging home, the limited educational opportunities for their children, the reduction of humanitarian assistance, and encroaching poverty due to lack of employment.
When they wore the HEATTECH and fleece we gave them, she smiled for the first time and said, “It’s warm, thank you so much. I’ll make you a cup of coffee as a thank you.” As she stood up, she thanked each of us, and as we were leaving waved until we were out of sight.
The Heart of LifeWear program warms hearts as well as bodies, creating connections with people around the world in need of support. UNIQLO will continue to donate HEATTECH around the world. Watch for the next report.
This clothing donation is part of the “What Makes Life Better?” initiative.
For more information: https://www.uniqlo.com/ph/en/contents/feature/whatmakeslifebetter/
ALL HEATTECH
WOMEN
https://www.uniqlo.com/ph/en/women/innerwear/heattech
MEN
https://www.uniqlo.com/ph/en/men/innerwear-and-underwear/heattech-innerwear
PEACE FOR ALL
https://www.uniqlo.com/ph/en/special-feature/peace-for-all/
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