As the civil war in Syria enters its third year, Brixton filmmakers Richard Nield and James Stittle have teamed up to raise money for a documentary on Syrian refugees.
The pair travelled to Jordan earlier this year to start their project, called ‘The Second Crisis, investigating the impact of the influx of refugees on the local population in Jordan.
“I’ve been writing about the Middle East for many years, and when I found out what was happening in Jordan I decided that it was really important to bring the story to people’s attention,” said Richard.
“Aid organisations I was speaking to in Jordan were telling me that the country is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Richard and James travelled to the Za’atari refugee camp, home to a staggering 140,000 refugees, and to the Syrian border where they witnessed refugees fleeing the fighting. As tens of thousands of refugees arrive in small Jordan towns, local schools, hospitals and agricultural and water infrastructures are being stretched to breaking point. Food prices are doubling and many locals are facing eviction from their homes as rents are rising.
Richard and James have self-funded the film so far and are now looking for funding to help finish it off. You can visit their Kickstarter page here.
