Amman: If sufficient funding is not added to its dwindling budget, the UNHCR has threatened "serious consequences" for refugees in Jordan.
The UN agency for refugees recently made a plea for "immediate" aid after other organizations revealed plans to scale back food and medical aid in camps in Jordan.
Al-Mamlakah TV, which is owned by the Jordanian government, made a comment regarding a UNHCR report that stated that only $390.11 million, or 32 percent of the agency's annual budget of $125.7 million, had been given to it.
Also Read: Algeria's Bid to Join BRICS Could Shake Up Global Order
Dominik Bartsch, the organization's representative in Jordan, has issued a warning regarding a "humanitarian crisis and serious consequences for refugees and host communities" in light of this 68 percent deficit.
The great accomplishments made over the past ten years are being undermined, he continued, due to the current funding shortfall for the refugee response.
He stated that there were growing worries about Jordan's capacity to integrate refugees into its healthcare and educational systems. Syrian refugees now have access to the labor market thanks to sustained support over the years, according to Bartsch.
Also Read: Netanyahu claims he will receive a pacemaker overnight
There is an immediate danger that the situation will revert to a humanitarian crisis, which would have serious ramifications for the host communities and the refugees. Bartsch praised Jordan's assistance to refugees over the previous years.
According to UNHCR, the nation granted 62,000 Syrians work permits in 2021, a record.
This came about as a result of the Jordan Compact, an initiative to increase access to legal employment and education for Syrians who had to flee their homes, receiving funding commitments from the international community.
Bartsch continued, "Donors need to understand what is at risk because Jordan has done so much."
To "keep the success story in Jordan alive," he urged "determined and coordinated action." According to Bartsch, the lack of assistance was making refugees less secure.
The number of refugee families who are unable to pay their rent and are in danger of being evicted from their homes increased by 66% between December 2022 and February 2023, he continued.
If "immediate action" is not taken to improve the refugees' financial situation in Jordan, the representative threatened that another wave of refugees would head toward Europe.
"Another effect of inadequate assistance is that it may force refugees onto unauthorized routes toward Europe," he continued. As they are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and even death after leaving Jordan, UNHCR is worried about their protection.
"The recent shipwreck off the coast of Greece was a stark reminder that people who do not see a perspective, make desperate choices."
The World Food Program recently announced a decrease in the amount of food aid it provides to refugees living in Jordanian refugee camps each month, from about $32 to $21. According to the UNHCR, a number of nongovernmental organizations that provided health services left the Zaatari and Azraq camps in Jordan, which resulted in severe shortages and issues with the quality of the facilities that were still there.
According to Jordan, there are currently 1.3 million Syrians living there, of whom 670,000 are officially registered as refugees with the UNHCR, making Jordan the country with the second-largest population of Syrian refugees worldwide, after Lebanon.
According to the UNHCR, Turkey has taken in 3.6 million Syrian refugees while Lebanon is home to nearly 1 million.
The largest camp in the Middle East, Zaatari, and the Azraq camp are both located in Jordan. However, the majority of Syrians in Jordan reside in urban areas where they work in particular sectors of the economy.
Only 0.8% of Syrian refugees, according to a recent UNHCR study, are willing to return to their country of origin, despite Jordan's increased efforts to facilitate their voluntary return.
The survey found that nearly 97% of Syrian refugees in Jordan have no plans to go back within the next year due to security and financial concerns, including the absence of housing and other necessities in their home country.
Also Read: Kurds protest the centennial of the Lausanne Treaty
The coordination between Jordan, the Syrian government, and the appropriate UN agencies has reportedly started in order to facilitate the voluntary return of about 1,000 Syrian refugees.
Following a historic gathering of the foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan in Amman, the decision was made public on May 1. Faisal Mekdad, the Syrian foreign minister, was also present.