Funds Sent To: DSPR (on behalf of the ACT/JSL Forum – Jordan members)
Amount Sent: USD$60, 000
Date: 18 August 2015
Details of Response
Emergency: Rapid Relief to Iraqi Refugees in Jordan
Date of Emergency: August 2015
Requesting Member: DSPR (on behalf of the ACT/JSL Forum – Jordan members)
I. NARRATIVE SUMMARY
DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY
Jordan's capital of Amman has attracted thousands of refugees in recent years escaping war or persecution in neighbouring countries. As of 31 July, nearly 30,000 Iraqis were registered with UNHCR in Jordan. Almost 60% hail from (IS) controlled areas in Ninevah, Salah Al Din and Anbar governorates.
Third-country resettlement is expected to remain the primary durable solution for Iraqis in 2015 with approximately 1,500 departures. While the security conditions in Iraq explain the lack of interest in voluntary return, assistance and services are often insufficient to meet the needs of those refugees who remain in Jordan.
The influx of refugees has put a strain on the country. Only at St. Mary's Church in Amman, there are about 500 refugees. Many are children who arrived sick. They are traumatised from the incidences they suffered in Iraq: fear and anxiety because of the war, insecurity, no food among others. Some of these refugees live on the floor in different centres among them churches. Others live in apartments rented for them by aid organisations until they are granted asylum, a process that can drag on for years. It is unpredicted how many days or months they will stay like this in Jordan in general. Whatever assistance can be given is welcome especially for those in centres. Still, it will be difficult for the refugees, who after months on the move need rest and time to apply for visas to relocate to any of the countries that will accept them.
Estimating the size of Iraqi’s in Jordan is difficult, as some Iraqis may have entered without a legal permit, or overstayed their permit. Parts of the Iraqi population in Jordan may therefore be reluctant to reveal their presence, in fear of deportation. UNHCR said on 28 July, 2015 that living conditions for more than half a million refugees living outside of camps in the country had become increasingly tough, swelling the population of other camps. The latest survey showed 86% of urban refugees live below the Jordanian poverty line of $95 per capita per month.
The situation of Iraqi refugees is grim, and is a disaster. A number of contributory factors can be attributed to the prevailing situation; among them lack of funding to respond adequately. They also do not have economic opportunities. Many of these refugees face a number of challenges ranging from the lack of access to life saving medicines and medical care, food and sufficient public health possibilities.
A survey conducted last week by ACT members in Jordan shows a desperate need for immediate medication assistance for those suffering from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis, cancer; need for minor surgeries for those who have broken and fractured bones among others. Some told stories of how they were shot whilst fleeing, for example could be on a leg, hand in the skull and how they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. They also need food and basic sanitation items.
Those on medication revealed the dilemma of needing to take food on empty stomachs. A number of refugees that ACT members talked to during the survey survive from each day to the next and do not have much hope, but they remain holding on.
Facing a dire situation amid no chances to be employed, poor resettlement opportunities and dwindling savings, some Iraqi refugees in Jordan have started to promote their own resilience and consider means of survival such as relying on charity organizations and individuals, but also negative coping mechanisms or integrating in the Jordanian society by getting married to Jordanians to be granted residency permits.
Funding to assist Iraqi refugees in Jordan is low, as the chances for many to restart a new life now further dim. Funds will soon run out to feed and house thousands of Iraqi refugees sheltering in Jordan. “There is no hope among the people. They believe the world has abandoned them and are leaving them to die”, an Iraqi refugee said.