Middle East, North Africa and Europe
Jordan ranks 102 out of 189 on the Human Development Index (HDI). Today, CARE International works at the Azraq refugee camp and focuses on natural resource management and strengthening civil society.
CARE started working in 1948 in Jordan to meet the needs of refugees and displaced persons who had been forced to flee their homes in Palestine, as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the subsequent creation of Israel.
Today, Jordan continues to be a safe haven for many people fleeing conflict, and supporting displaced communities, a central part of our work in the country.
CARE International works at the Azraq refugee camp to meet the needs of close to 35,000 refugees that have fled from Syria. It's estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of refugees in Jordan who have fled from violence and insecurity in Iraq and the Syria conflict.
In addition to refugees, CARE International focuses on assisting poor farmers and women, all affected by conflict, economic disparity, discrimination, or a fragile resource base. Economic participation of women remains lower in Jordan than in other countries in the region despite comparatively higher educational attainment. Traditional values that restrict women's rights are compounded by discrimination in the workplace.
Jordan also has one of the lowest levels of water resource availability per capita in the world. As the population doubles over the next two decades, water scarcity will become a greater problem that will challenge farmers to improve food security through environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
To help tackle these compounding challenges, our work in Jordan focuses on:
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, debt, unemployment, and the fear of homelessness are exacerbating domestic violence and tensions within and among refugee families living in Jordan and their Jordanian host communities, a new study by CARE International in Jordan has revealed.
CARE study: Majority of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Jordan living with less assistance, more debts.
Aid agency CARE International releases “Six years into exile: The challenges and coping strategies of non-camp Syrian refugees in Jordan and their host communities”.
Balqees, an 18-year-old student whose family arrived in the Al-Azraq Camp in Jordan shortly after its establishment in 2016, dreams of continuing her education outside the camp against a backdrop of limited prospects for refugee students.
CARE Jordan interviewed Sara, 42, a Palestinian refugee, who started coaching and mental health support sessions at a CARE community center to help cope with the physical and psychological violence she has faced at home.
In its 12th iteration of a series that dates to 2012, CARE Jordan identifies, analyses, and tracks the needs and coping mechanisms of vulnerable communities in Jordan using a gender equality perspective.
As it undertakes a digital transformation post-COVID-19, CARE Jordan aims to ensure that the initiative leads to more, not less, access to services. This analysis of gender and digital inclusion was recently conducted to inform future digital programs that include everyone.
CARE Jordan's ‘She is a Humanitarian’ report finds that women’s participation in decision-making mechanisms was weak during COVID-19 humanitarian responses.
In FY2023, CARE worked around the world, contributing to saving lives, fighting poverty, and increasing social justice.
