AMMAN — The
UN High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) reported that 91 percent of Syrian refugee families and 87 percent of
non-Syrian refugee families in Jordan were burdened with debt in the last
quarter of 2023, indicating that 9 out of ten families were suffering from
financial liabilities, Al-Ghad reported.
اضافة اعلان
The UNHCR collected information from refugee families
to assess differences at the family level across several sectors, including
economic status, food security, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, and
health. The sample included 3,696 families, representing about 18,809
refugees.
According to the UNHCR assessment titled
"Socio-economic Situation of Refugees in Jordan," there was a slight
decrease in the proportion of debt-burdened families in the fourth quarter
compared to the second quarter of 2023. The borrowed money was mainly allocated
to rent, comprising 31 percent of the total, followed by food at 28 percent,
healthcare expenses at 19 percent, and utility bills, including water and
electricity, at 18 percent.
Income
decline
Syrian refugee families reported an average
income of JD255 Jordanian, while non-Syrian refugee families recorded an
average income of JD229 Jordanian in the fourth quarter of 2023. This
represents a decrease of eight percent and six percent from the income reported
in the second quarter of 2023, respectively.
The average monthly labor income for
Syrian refugee families decreased from JD225 Jordanian in the second quarter to JD207
in the fourth quarter. As for non-Syrian families, labor income increased from
JD192 to JD200 during the same period.
Despite reductions in humanitarian aid, joint
assistance provided by the UNHCR and the
World Food Program (WFP) remained the
main source of income for refugees in 2023. This represented 44 percent of
Syrian refugees' income and 38 percent of non-Syrian refugees' income in the
fourth quarter of 2023.
Additionally, the UNHCR indicated that cash
assistance for basic needs accounted for 67 percent of the income of
beneficiary refugee families in Jordan in 2023.
The financing requirements allocated to Jordan
in 2024 by the UNHCR decreased by approximately JD15 million, a decrease of
3.93 percent, amid the UN agency's threat to suspend or reduce its
interventions across the Middle East and North Africa. The UNHCR in Jordan
received 43 percent of its financial requirements for 2023 until December 15,
2023.
Expenses
The assessment indicated that the average
monthly expenditure was JD314 for Syrian families and JD279 for non-Syrian
families in the fourth quarter of 2023. Compared to the second quarter of 2023,
the average expenditure of Syrian families decreased by two percent, and
non-Syrian families by five percent.
Syrian and non-Syrian refugees showed similar
spending patterns over 2023, focusing on three categories: food, rent, and
health.
‘Edge
of the abyss’
The UNHCR believes that prolonged refugee
situations, new emergencies, multiple overlapping crises push forcibly
displaced persons and their host communities to the ‘edge of the abyss.’
It says that millions struggle to meet their
daily needs without decisive support from the UNHCR and the international
community, noting that the downward trend in UNHCR funding is concerning,
especially in the Middle East and North Africa, which witnessed the largest
decrease in allocated funding.
In 2023, the UNHCR received approximately $214
million less for its programs in the Middle East and North Africa compared to
2022.
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