Jordan has welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflicts in neighbouring countries and beyond. While most Syrians live in Jordanian communities, many live in camps and rely on aid to survive.
NRC in Jordan
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is hard at work in these camps – and in host communities – helping families access basic essentials, shelter, education and legal support, and move towards long-term solutions of their choice.
What’s happening in Jordan?
Jordan has long been a generous host to refugees from Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. Many Syrian refugees have been in Jordan since the war there broke out over fifteen years ago.
Most refugees have been able to secure their legal status, and their children can access education. But thousands remain unregistered or undocumented, which means they can’t take formal jobs and have limited access to essential services. Registered refugee children can access formal education, but poverty has contributed to high dropout rates.
Across Jordan, unemployment is high, incomes are low and debt is rising. As a result, most refugees live below the poverty line and are urgently in need of humanitarian support. Those living in camps rely heavily on humanitarian organisations for basic protection and assistance, making them especially vulnerable when funding falls.
Our response
We’re working with our partners in the following areas:
- Shelter and settlements – improving and maintaining shelter in camps, while also helping to deliver basic needs assistance and running cash-for-rent programmes in host communities
- Livelihoods and food security – supporting economically vulnerable refugees through employability skills training and on-the-job training schemes with private sector partners.
- Education – providing accredited vocational education and pathways to employment, strengthening education systems through coordination and advocacy, and supporting education continuity for returning students.
- Information, counselling and legal assistance – helping people obtain legal and civil documentation, navigate legal stay options in Jordan, claim housing rights, resolve work rights issues and prepare for safe returns.
- Advocacy – ensuring the voices of displaced people are heard and their rights are respected, and working to reduce barriers to long-term solutions.
Our operations
NRC office established: 2012
Areas of operation: Irbid, Jerash, Madaba, Zarqa, Mafraq, Amman, Zaatari camp, Azraq camp
Country Director: Ghaida' Al-Qudah
Contact: jo.nrcjordan@nrc.no
Our impact
In 2025, we assisted 67,660 people through our programmes in Jordan:
-
2,713Education
-
1,361Livelihoods and food security
-
16,277Shelter and settlements
-
48,301Information, counselling and legal assistance
-
472Multi-purpose cash assistance
Note: some people received more than one type of assistance.
