UNIQLO Delivers 530,000 HEATTECH Items to Jordan, Home of the Largest Refugee Camp in the Middle East and One of the Largest in the World.
～The Heart of LifeWear Vol.7～
Mar 21, 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. About 620,000 Syrian refugees are registered with UNHCR.
With many people living under difficult economic circumstances, UNHCR created paid jobs for volunteers who helped receive the HEATTECH items at a Warehouse in the Azraq refugee camp to prepare for distribution among families and in-need communities.
All 530,000 items of HEATTECH were sorted by size and item, prepared for distribution, and transported to three refugee camps in Jordan.
UNHCR conducted detailed surveys in advance of family structures and the number of people in households to determine the sizes and number of items needed, ensuring that refugees would receive the right amount of clothing and supplies needed.
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 HEATTECH items for their family. The efficient and secure distribution process resulted from UNIQLO and UNHCR’s many years of experience with clothing support activities.
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. To further develop the refugee support program, UNIQLO, and UNHCR are constantly working to understand their needs by participating in group discussions with refugees about the power of clothing and visiting their homes to listen to their stories. With 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 the 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 left, she waved until we were out of sight.
The Heart of LifeWear program warms hearts and bodies, connecting people around the world who need support. UNIQLO will continue to donate HEATTECH worldwide.
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