Jordan: Aid for Syrian refugees

Table of contents

Winter clothing for Syrian refugees in Jordan

“I couldn’t sleep and had anxiety attacks and depression. I urgently needed someone to help me get over this situation. I couldn’t even look after my children any more. Thanks to the therapy I received, we are now a family again, and I feel joy in my heart once more.”
Huda, a refugee from Syria, is receiving psychological treatment in Sahab Clinic in Amman.

What is the situation like in Jordan?

Relief for refugees in Jordan — Food, blankets, thick clothing – Syrian refugees need help urgently.

Refuge for displaced persons

Numerous families who have had to flee their homeland in the face of war and violence are seeking protection in Jordan. A large proportion of the refugees come from Syria: According to the United Nations, there are currently around 672,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, and together with the unregistered refugees, there are over 1.3 million. Housing and caring for them is a huge challenge for the government in Amman and the Jordanian population. Only a small portion finds refuge in the refugee camps - about 133,000 people.

The majority of refugee families live in the cities and towns in tents, makeshift dwellings or crude buildings. The education and health systems are also not prepared for the large number of people. For many of those affected, the war does not end at the Syrian border, but accompanies them day and night: they suffer from war traumas and need psychosocial support.

How is Help providing support in Jordan?

Aid packets for Syrian refugees — Help distributes aid packets for Syrian refugees outside of the refugee camps. ©Khemesh

Support for refugees

In Jordan, Help has been particularly involved in supporting Syrian and Palestinian families. Our focus here was on innovative solutions: We built greenhouses on rooftops and in refugee shelters and provided agricultural expertise. Thanks to these "urban gardening" facilities, affected people were given the opportunity to grow vegetables and fruit in a resource-friendly way and to generate a long-term income by selling the produce.

Previously, Help was involved in improving the living conditions of Syrian families who lived outside the refugee camps in dilapidated shell buildings. 150 dilapidated houses were renovated and turned into safe shelters for families.

As many refugees from Syria suffer from war trauma, Help has also created sustainable structures for the psychological care of those affected. In cooperation with the Charité hospital in Berlin, Help has trained around 100 local medical professionals as trauma therapists. In addition to Syrian refugees, Jordanian patients have also had the opportunity to take advantage of the therapy offered.

Donors and partners: ADH (Aktion Deutschland Hilft), BMZ, ZF hilft e.V.

+++ As of July 2023, there are no Help projects running in Jordan. +++

Homes fit for people

To improve the living conditions of refugees outside the camps, Help is renovating housing. We have renovated 150 derelict buildings and built safe accommodation for refugee families.

New housing for Syrian refugees — Sawasan Al Ghozali and her children are happy to live in the renovated apartment now.

Sawasan fled from Syria to Jordan. She found refuge with her two children in a shell of a building in the Jordanian city of Irbid. Mold was growing on the walls, there were no windows or doors, and the family had to sleep on the concrete floor. Help supported the small family and made the apartment a safe home.

"When my children fell down while playing, they immediately hurt their legs. In the renovated apartment, they are happy and finally feel comfortable."

Pictures and videos

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Facts and Figures

Figures about Jordan

9.7 million people live in Jordan (2018)
More than 1.3 million registered and unregistered Syrian refugees live in the country according to estimates by the Jordanian Department of Statistics (2018)
The population of Jordan is very young: around 35% of the population are under 15 years old (2018)
Youth unemployment is estimated at over 30% (2018)

Sources: BMZ, German Federal Foreign Office

Facts about Help in Jordan

Treatment of more than 3,400 traumatized Syrian and Jordanian patients in over 12,000 counseling sessions.
Education and training of 100 doctors
Support of 3 hospitals
Training in disease awareness and stress management techniques for about 400 lay people.
Renovation of 150 houses for about 2,000 refugees
Winter aid for 6,300 refugees from Syria and destitute Jordanians.