Syrian refugees in Jordan
Above: Omar*, 15, does his school homework in his family caravan in Za’atari camp for Syrian refugees, Jordan. Photo: Jordi Matas / Save the Children
The Syrian conflict has been active for more than a decade, displacing more than 55% of the country’s population, according to UNHCR. The scale of the crisis has impacted on nearby countries, now home to large populations of Syrian refugees.
As of November 2020, there were an estimated 1.3 million Syrian refugees residing in Jordan, with over 80% living in communities rather than camps.
The high cost of living, depleted savings, limited access to work and income opportunities, and decrease in humanitarian assistance caused families to prioritise household income for survival.
COVID-19 only made things tougher. According to research from Save the Children Jordan, over 95% of Syrian households and 90% of Jordanian households reported a decrease in their income due to COVID-19. Unemployment rates increased to around 24% while female labour force participation rates remain chronically low.
Jordan witnessed a spike in gender-based and domestic violence rates during 2021 as a result of the economic crisis and the stressful effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures, combined with prevailing social and gender norms.
Children were particularly at risk – if their families are struggling to make ends meet, they could be forced out of school and into the workforce, or into early marriage. COVID-19 also closed schools, increasing the risk of drop-out, especially among girls and children with disabilities.
The AHP Response
In response to the impacts of COVID-19, the Australian government allocated $2.5 million to an AHP response for Syrian refugees in Jordan, focusing on refugee children who are currently not in school.
This was the second AHP response in Jordan: an earlier three-year humanitarian package was delivered in response to the Syria crisis across Jordan and Lebanon.
A consortium of Australian NGOs, led by Save the Children Australia with CARE Australia, Plan Australia and local partner Nour Al Hussein Foundation/Institute for Family Health implemented the 12-month response.
Activities focused on improving access to education and health services for young people and their families, access to livelihoods and psychosocial support.
The program promoted women and girls’ participation in public life, engaged men and boys in transforming social norms to combat gender-based violence and gender inequality, and supported out-of-school adolescents, including children with disabilities, to return to learning. Adolescents and their families were provided with access to career counselling, vocational training, and financial literacy lessons to support them in earning a livelihood.
Response highlights
The project reached 717 out of school children in four different locations (Amman, Balqa, Irbid and Zaatari Camp), assisting them with inclusive education services. These students were not being reached or targeted by other programs in-country, and were especially disadvantaged. 98% of children demonstrated improved academic performance from the education services provided.
400 out of school children and household family members were provided with livelihood training programs, including vocational skills, professional development, life skills, career counselling and financial literacy. All participants received start-up kits to support them in creating their own small businesses.
The response supported significant positive changes in the social, educational, and economic well-being of out of school children and their families. Positive attitudinal and behavioral changes were evident among participants — 90% of those surveyed at the end of the response said they had improved their leadership and career skills, and had stronger confidence levels.