With an influx of refugees from four regional wars in just 70 years and a lack of water and other resources, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its people face many challenges.
Millions of refugees from different conflicts currently live in Jordan. The country has more than two million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA, and about 655,000 Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR. With your help, Anera provides essential resources to refugees in Jordan and vulnerable local communities, while also supporting projects in education, medicine and humanitarian relief.
How to Help Refugees
& Vulnerable Communities in Jordan
Anera is working in Jordan to support Palestinian and Syrian refugees, beginning with our medical donations program that distributes vital medicines and other supplies, including antibiotics, medicine for chronic illnesses and wheelchairs. In addition to medical donations, Anera also provides kits for school and hygiene as well as relief supplies such as blankets.
We also provide early childhood development (ECD) and women’s economic empowerment programs. Anera’s ECD project in Jordan goes hand-in-hand with women’s economic empowerment. Women who have opportunities to send their young children to school are better able to find jobs outside of the home.
When you donate to Anera, you provide essential resources that Palestinian and Syrian refugees, along with vulnerable Jordanian communities, need to thrive. Your support will help with our medical donation program that distributes vital medicines and other supplies, as well as school and hygiene kits, and relief supplies like blankets. Your contribution will also support women’s economic empowerment programs. Learn more about how we use donations by visiting our FAQ page.
What Happens When You Donate to Refugees
& Vulnerable Communities in Jordan
Your gift to Anera can help Palestinian and Syrian refugees, as well as vulnerable Jordanian host communities. We work directly with refugee communities in Jordan to make meaningful changes that bring a lasting impact. Your support will provide early childhood education and women’s economic empowerment opportunities. Women who can send their young children to school are better able to find jobs outside of the home.
Our staff comes from the areas we serve and work directly with their communities. We target the following service areas based on the most common refugee needs:
- Education: Your donation will fund school supplies and educational programs for learners of all ages.
- Health:Â In addition to medical supplies and treatments, your gift will support initiatives that provide people with disabilities the resources they need for their well-being.
- Community: Jordanian and refugee communities will use your gift to boost job opportunities and strengthen the ties that connect people.
- Emergency:Â During a conflict or natural disaster, your donation will deliver urgently needed aid.
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JORDAN STORIES
Our Impact
Opening Doors of Opportunity for Refugee Youth in Jordan
Bridging the Digital Divide in Jordan
Treating Family Health Issues in Jerash Camp, Jordan
Anera's History in Jordan
From 2004 to 2011, Anera maintained an office in Jordan that managed several programs for families in disadvantaged communities and refugee camps. Our four local, full-time staff in Amman delivered after-school tutoring programs for refugees and Jordanian students. We also conducted public health outreach campaigns, screened and treated hearing and visual impairments, provided training workshops for women to start up income-generating projects, and delivered humanitarian supplies.
The Situation for Palestinian Refugees in Jordan
Palestinian refugees first arrived in Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, with a second wave coming in the wake of the 1967 War. Jordan also hosts nearly 10,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria who face numerous challenges regarding their refugee and legal status. Today, most Palestinian refugees have full citizenship in Jordan, but a large percentage live below the national poverty line and lack access to quality education and health care.
Life for Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Jordan hosts nearly 1.4 million refugees who fled from the war in Syria in 2011. Although Jordan has five refugee camps for Syrians, 83 percent of Syrian refugees live in poverty in Jordanian cities. The challenges they face have only deepened over the years. Due to statelessness, psychological trauma, interrupted education and poverty, many refugees struggle to access professional and educational opportunities.
In 2018, UNICEF reported that 85 percent of Syrian refugee children in Jordan were living below the poverty line. Additionally, 94 percent of these children under age five experienced "multidimensional" poverty, meaning they lacked essential resources such as education, healthcare and nutrition.
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened economic hardships across Jordan, with many refugee families facing job losses, reduced access to services and worsening mental health. By 2022, a UNHCR report found that over 60 percent of Syrian refugee families in Jordan resorted to negative coping strategies like reducing meal portions, withdrawing children from school or taking on debt.
More recently, rising inflation and regional instability have further strained vulnerable families. Limited employment, along with inadequate healthcare and education access, continues to challenge refugees and host communities alike. Despite these hardships, Anera remains committed to supporting these populations with resources, educational programs and livelihood opportunities to help them build more stable futures.
Refugee Camps in Jordan
As of early 2024, Jordan hosted approximately 710,000 refugees registered with UNHCR, predominantly from Syria, with additional groups from Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia. The majority, about 82%, reside outside of refugee camps, and nearly half are children.
In 2023, the total number of refugees in Jordan was estimated at over 1.3 million, with the vast majority being Syrian nationals.
Regarding Palestinian refugees, more than 2.39 million are registered in Jordan, the largest number in any UNRWA field. While many have full Jordanian citizenship, about 18% live in ten recognized Palestinian refugee camps across the country:
- Talbieh Camp
- Jabal el-Hussein Camp
- Marka Camp
- Jerash Camp
- Baqa'a Camp
- Zarqa Camp
- Amman New Camp
- Husn Camp
- Irbid Camp
- Souf Camp
Jerash Palestinian Refugee Camp
Jerash camp is located in a verdant area of northern Jordan. The residents there are 1967 refugees from Palestine and they have no rights (as opposed to those who came in 1948, who have full rights) – very much like Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. They are very limited in the professions they can practice. In other camps, there is a mix of 1948 and 1967 refugees. In Jerash, the 40,000 refugees are from 1967 so they do not have social security numbers. They cannot enroll in schools or qualify for health care. Anera is delivering medicines to the Medical Aid for Palestinians clinic, which is very active in the camp.
Za'atari Syrian Refugee Camp
Around 78,800 Syrian refugees live in the Za'atari camp near the Jordan and Syria border. From its establishment in 2012 to the present, it has transformed from a gathering of tents into a small city and the largest Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. The camp features a vibrant market that includes around 3,000 informal businesses. Anera has delivered antibiotics along with medicines to treat asthma and parasites to the camp.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Situation in Jordan
2.39 million
Palestinian refugees live in Jordan
A large percentage live below the national poverty line and lack access to quality education and health care.
1.3 million
refugees from Syria
live in urban poverty and lack access to jobs or educational opportunities.
16%
of Jordanian citizens
live below the national poverty line.
