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Middle East

Jordan

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FRAGILITY RANKING

68th out of 180 countries


Overview

More than five million Syrians have fled across borders in search of refuge in neighboring countries since the onset of Syria’s civil war. Jordan has registered more than 650,000 Syrian refugees with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, although the true number may be as high as one million.

Jordan’s political stability and central location in the Middle East have long made the country a haven for refugees. Since the mid-twentieth century, Jordan has sheltered thousands of people from Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, the Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Ethiopia and other fragile settings.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, an estimated 650,000 registered Syrian refugees have fled across Jordan’s northern border in search of safety. These highly vulnerable families have relied on assistance from organizations like Relief International to meet their daily and longer-term needs over the past nine years. As a resolution to the Syrian crisis grows increasingly elusive, the delicate relationship between Jordan’s burgeoning refugee population and vulnerable host communities is approaching a tipping point.

Relief International launched our Jordan program in 2004 to provide life-saving assistance during the mass exodus of Iraqi refugees, as well as marginalized Jordanian and Palestinian communities in resource-poor areas.

Today, Relief International’s programs focus exclusively on education in Jordan’s Azraq and Za’atari refugee camps. We operate six centers, three in each camp, where approximately 250 staff provide educational courses in reading, language, science, writing and math to thousands of Syrian adolescents and young adults. These classes mirror the subjects taught in Jordanian schools, aiming to improve academic performance for Syrian students who are following a different curriculum than they used in Syria. Given the daily obstacles of living in the camps, our education programs are vital to the success of many students.

Relief International teams work closely with youth refugees to develop solutions to pressing social issues that exist within both camps, including early marriage, unemployment and uncertainty about the future. We’ve launched education programs that provide onsite childcare, ensuring opportunities exist for young mothers and female-headed households to continue growing their skills and knowledge. We also work to provide integrated learning pathways for students who have been out of school for months or even years.

Our centers are largely run by Syrian refugees who serve as guards, student counselors, librarians and teachers – all working side-by-side to educate the next generation of engineers, doctors and lawyers to rebuild Syria after the war, while also earning a living to support their families inside the camps.

“Education is a lifeline for Syrian refugees in both camps,” shares Relief International’s Camps Program Manager Wasef Abdulhadi. “It has the incredible power to transform students’ outlook on life. Education offers our students a new sense of hope.”


Our 2023 Impact in Jordan
9.6K
students enrolled in education programs
106
teachers and educators trained
78
learning centers and schools supported or rehabilitated
Video
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Providing Educational Opportunities in Jordan

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Providing Educational Opportunities in Jordan

Relief International’s education centers provide high quality educational support that helps students complete high school and prepares them for work and university.

Given the daily obstacles of living in the camps, our education programs are vital to the success of many students. Several of the centers’ students have gone on to university, not only in Jordan but also abroad.

Stories From Jordan

Learn more about our work in Jordan from our staff and program participants.

Jordan

Iman’s Journey: From Escaping Syria to Studying in France

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Malik’s Journey to Realizing His Full Potential

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Creating Safe Spaces in Azraq Camp, Jordan

Al Batoul supports young women living in Azraq camp, Jordan, by leading psychosocial support sessions at an RI education center in the

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Supporting A New Generation Of Syrian Refugees Complete Their Studies

5 years ago, Hanan enrolled at RI’s educational center to help finish her education and pass the Tawjihi exam.

Now, she works as a student counselor in the same center, supporting a new generation of students to continue their educations.

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Muteeb’s Story – Teaching Syrian Refugees in Jordan

“I work to bring life to the language. I put a pulse into the words,” states Muteeb, an English teacher at one of RI’s Educational Center in Azraq camp in Jordan.

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Jordan

Going Back To School To Find New Opportunities

After fleeing Syria to Jordan, Omar dropped out of school to make money for his family.

With RI’s support, Omar returned to his education, finishing high school and taking part in vocational training program that led him to a new career.

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Learning and Living at RI’s Educational Centers in Jordan

RI’s educational centers in refugee camps in Jordan offer young Syrian refugees the opportunity to learn and grow.

Here, four students tell us what inspires them to attend the RI center each day.

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“Going back to education gave me great hope.”

Fariha was married when she was just 15 years old. She was living in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp having fled the fighting in Syria. She has now returned to her education with Relief International’s program. She says, “Going back to education gave me great hope.”

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Coronavirus: “We are concerned that this pandemic will disrupt refugees’ education”

As the coronavirus continues to spread globally, we have all had to make adjustments in our daily lives and routines. For those living in refugee camps or overcrowded settlements, life has become unrecognizable.

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Jordan

Early Moments: The Youngest Syrian Refugees Learn Through Play

Building blocks and children’s books are scattered across the center’s colorful mat floors, and peals of laughter echo throughout the room. This space looks like any other daycare, but it’s not. This one is special. It provides a glimmer of hope in the lives of the youngest Syrian refugees.

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Jordan

Iman’s Journey: From Escaping Syria to Studying in France

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Jordan

Malik’s Journey to Realizing His Full Potential

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Jordan

Creating Safe Spaces in Azraq Camp, Jordan

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Jordan

Supporting A New Generation Of Syrian Refugees Complete Their Studies

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Jordan

Muteeb’s Story – Teaching Syrian Refugees in Jordan

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Jordan

Going Back To School To Find New Opportunities

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Jordan

Learning and Living at RI’s Educational Centers in Jordan

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Jordan

“Going back to education gave me great hope.”

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Jordan

Coronavirus: “We are concerned that this pandemic will disrupt refugees’ education”

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Jordan

Early Moments: The Youngest Syrian Refugees Learn Through Play

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Iman’s Journey: From Escaping Syria to Studying in France

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Malik’s Journey to Realizing His Full Potential

Al-Batoul-1-Jordan-Education.jpg

Creating Safe Spaces in Azraq Camp, Jordan

IMG_0046.jpg

Supporting A New Generation Of Syrian Refugees Complete Their Studies

muteeb-youtube-3-1.png

Muteeb’s Story – Teaching Syrian Refugees in Jordan

Omar-Jordan-Education-3.png

Going Back To School To Find New Opportunities

20211101-RI-azraq-7175.jpg

Learning and Living at RI’s Educational Centers in Jordan

Iman-durring-her-class-in-RI-Center-in-Zaatari-camp-3.jpg

“Going back to education gave me great hope.”

jordan-education-covid19-hero-03312020.jpg

Coronavirus: “We are concerned that this pandemic will disrupt refugees’ education”

jordan-earlymoments-hero-02072020-1.jpg

Early Moments: The Youngest Syrian Refugees Learn Through Play

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Featured Project

Providing Safe Spaces for the Youngest Syrian Refugees

Since the war in Syria broke out in 2011, more than one million Syrian children have been born in exile as refugees. Through strategic partnerships, Relief International established an Early Childhood Education Center in each refugee camp to support the needs of the youngest Syrian refugees.

Donate to Relief International

Make a difference today

Your gift to Relief International helps us ensure students in Jordan and other fragile settings do not miss out on a quality education. This all starts with you.

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