Jordan has realised that giving refugees the opportunity would enable them to proactively contribute to the community in which they currently live, instead of simply sitting and waiting for the time when they can go back to their homes. AugUNHCR/Farah AlSadiĪt the Zaatari Refugee Camp for Syrian refugees, crops are being grown at the hands of Syrian farmers who have been trained in hydroponics techniques, in order to be able to provide for themselves and others in the camp, using sustainable, water-efficient agricultural methods.Įlsewhere, refugees have started home-based businesses to provide for themselves and their families, while also offering services to their peers and Jordanians alike. Dr Waleed, an Iraqi refugee and doctor is pictured outside Princess Basma Hospital in Irbid. He is one of several refugees from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen who are also medical professionals that responded to a UNHCR call to refugees in Jordan with previous experience in the medical sector to pitch in, amidst the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This September, Waleed, an Iraqi who has taken refuge in Jordan, began his work as a dermatologist at a hospital in Irbid Governorate. They are the entrepreneurs and the farmers, the artists and the designers, the doctors and the scientists. Many of them have not allowed displacement to define them and have chosen to become proactive in the betterment of themselves and their host communities. We believe in the importance of providing vaccines, health care, and education to the refugees we host, because their wellbeing and advancement will ultimately reflect on our own wellbeing and advancement. Nevertheless, Syrians study at our schools, receive treatment at our hospitals, and are vaccinated against COVID-19 at our vaccination centres. Refugee girls walk home from school through the market street in Zaatari Camp. The sudden surge in Jordan’s population, particularly with the wave of Syrian refugees over the past decade, has come with its share of challenges, compounding economic difficulties and increasing pressure on our severely limited water and energy resources, in addition to posing challenges to food security.
As a whole generation of Syrian refugees comes of age in Jordan and other host countries, the need arises for a new development-focused approach to boost education and healthcare services, and address pressure on infrastructure and employment. The majority of these refugees live among host communities rather than in refugee camps.įor Syrian refugee children who turned ten this year, Jordan is the only country they know.įor Syrian refugee children who turned ten this year, Jordan is the only country they know. It is the equivalent of having nearly 109.4 million refugees living in the United States. Refugees, including those registered with the UNHCR and UNRWA, make up almost a third of our population. We host nearly 3.6 million refugees of different nationalities. Jordan hosts the second highest number of refugees per capita globally. Ministry of Health Doctors and Nurses help refugees prepare to receive their COVID-19 vaccine in Zaatari Camp. We continue to do so because this is who we are because we cannot turn our backs on desperate mothers, children, and entire families looking for a safe haven.
We have opened our doors to wave after wave of refugees over the decades in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Granting refuge to those escaping violence and persecution lies at the very core of Jordan’s founding principles. One of these challenges, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, is the global refugee crisis.įor many around the world, including my country Jordan, the refugee crisis remains a poignant everyday reality that we cannot afford to ignore. Over a year and a half into an unprecedented global pandemic and its ongoing wide scale repercussions, so many urgent challenges facing our world have unfortunately taken a backseat.