The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned in Amman on Monday that the situation of refugees in Jordan could turn into a humanitarian crisis within months if funding is not urgently available.

The Commission said in a statement that what it lacks alone to implement basic health and cash programs during the remainder of 2022 is about $34 million.

UNHCR representative in Jordan, Dominic Bartsch, explained that refugees are still “suffering from the economic effects of the Corona pandemic and the high cost of living, in addition to the high service tariffs.”

He also stressed that “if no action is taken now, the human suffering and the cost to the international community will be much greater.”

The statement indicated that Jordan hosts about 760,000 refugees, most of whom are Syrians (670,000), Iraqis and Yemenis, in addition to refugees of other nationalities, where more than 80% of them live among Jordanians in the host communities.

According to UNHCR’s recent Vulnerability Monitor (Vulnerability Assessment Framework), their socio-economic situation inside and outside the camps is precarious.

The feeling is increasing among refugees that they are forced to borrow money to buy food or pay rent, as recent figures show that 85% of Syrian refugee families and 93% of refugees of other nationalities were in debt during the first quarter of 2022, according to the statement, which indicated that this The numbers increased from 79 and 89% during the third quarter of 2021.

All refugees residing outside the camps were subjected to three times more threats of eviction than they were in 2018, according to the statement.

With regard to food security, the statement pointed out that food insecurity among refugees is also on the rise, with 46% of refugee parents stating that they have reduced their food rations so that they can secure enough for their young children at the table, which raises the alarm.

In addition, an increasing number of families are sending their children to collect garbage so that they can earn some money, which leads to them dropping out of school and education.

“As for those receiving food assistance, they were informed a few weeks ago that the value of this support would have to be reduced due to lack of resources,” according to the statement.

“This announcement is a clear warning sign about the rapid decline in international support,” Bartsch said, adding, “We are deeply concerned about the growing desperation among refugees who see themselves in the face of yet another experience of uncertainty.”

The statement revealed that during the first week after the announcement, UNHCR received more than 400 calls through its helpline, in addition to numerous messages from concerned refugees that had arrived through other channels.

“On behalf of the refugees and the organizations supporting them, I appeal to the international community not to forget Jordan and the refugees,” Bartsch warned that “if funding is not pumped quickly, the situation will slide again into a humanitarian crisis in a few months.”

The Executive Director of Ard Samar Mohareb told Al-Mamlaka that international agencies and foreign and local organizations are trying to settle in Jordan, because it is a politically stable country, in addition to the fact that the government is responding to providing services.

Mohareb added that the organization was trying to control the weakness of local capacities to provide basic services, such as education and health, after the Corona crisis, but wars and conflicts led to crowding of these resources.

“In Jordan, there is a refugee for every 3 citizens…the number is too large for our absorptive capacity,” noting that the camps contain 30% of the current number of refugees.

She explained that the crises in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) constitute a “worrying” crisis for all organizations and agencies.

The kingdom