A recent report by Jordan’s “Al-Mamlaka” TV channel highlighted that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan has received approximately $128 million out of the requested $390 million, as of August 15th. This indicates a substantial funding deficit of around $261 million, which accounts for 67% of the total financial needs.
Consequently, UNHCR in Jordan has only secured 33% of its financial requirements for the fiscal year 2023. Amid the declining international funding, the agency fears the onset of a new humanitarian crisis. This past July, the UNHCR warned of “serious consequences for refugees” if the current financial crunch isn’t addressed. In response to these challenges, the World Food Programme has announced a reduction of one-third in monthly aid to all Syrian refugees in the “Zaatari” and “Azraq” camps, which host nearly 129,000 refugees.
According to the channel, Jordan is home to nearly 59,000 registered Iraqi refugees and over 1.3 million Syrians since the onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011. Of these, about 655,000 Syrian refugees are registered with the UNHCR.
The UNHCR reports a total of 733,943 registered refugees of various nationalities, excluding Palestinian refugees who fall under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as of last Wednesday.
