With a refugee population of over two million, primarily from Palestine, Syria and Iraq, Jordan is a major host of families fleeing violence and conflict. For just under a quarter of the refugees living in camps across Jordan, conditions are extremely poor. Little or no access to water and electricity increases the risk of disease and vermin infestations, jeopardising people’s health, safety and ultimately their lives.
What’s more, with unemployment at around 15% there is often not enough work and many local families remain unable to support themselves.
For people across Jordan, life is incredibly challenging:
- Over 655,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Jordan (UNHCR, 2017)
- 90% of refugees are classed or poor or on the brink of poverty (World Bank/UNHCR, 2015)
- Jordan hosts more than 2 million Palestinian refugees (UNRWA, 2016)
- Around 1 in 7 people live on less than $1.90 (£1.40) a day (World Bank, 2010)
Islamic Relief in Jordan
Islamic Relief began working in Jordan in 1997, supporting orphans through the orphan sponsorship programme, as well as seasonal food distributions in Ramadan and Korban projects on a yearly basis.
More recently, we have increased activities to support refugees in camps, particularly al-Baqa’a camp for Syrian refugees.
We currently support just under a thousand refugees across Jordan, including Syrian families. We offer crucial psychosocial support for women and children in Mafraq city and additionally provide inclusive educational support for refugee and Jordanian children in rural areas via our mobile educational bus.