UNHCR Jordan ‘only 27 per cent funded’ for rest of 2019

AMMAN — While the year 2019 is already over half-way complete, UNHCR's Jordan operations are currently only 27 per cent funded for its annual needs, according to the organisation. 

"If we are to continue meeting refugees' needs, then more flexible funding is needed in 2019," spokesperson for UNHCR Jordan, Lilly Carlisle told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

More than 80 per cent of refugees in Jordan live below the poverty line, on less than $3 a day, according to Carlisle, who highlighted that many refugees depend on the UNHCR for cash assistance and healthcare. "We are grateful for donors such as Switzerland who have come forward in recent weeks with new funding, but the needs of refugees across the country are still acute," Carlisle said.

Of the roughly $370 million required for the year, roughly $96 million had been donated to the organisation as of July 30, with the US and Germany as the most substantial contributors, contributing $39 million and $16 million, respectively, according to UNHCR data.

While the organisation has yet to receive the remaining 73 per cent of funding required, other significant contributors include Norway, Australia, Japan, Qatar, Canada, Ireland and France, in descending order of contribution, according to UNCHR data.

The need for such contributions remains great as Jordan has maintained its status of hosting the second highest share of refugees per capita globally, as of July 2019, according to the organisation.

As of late July, there were 751,015 refugees living in Jordan, with roughly 660,000 from Syria, close to 70,000 refugees from Iraq and almost 15,000 refugees from Yemen, according to UNCHR data.

Many of these refugees benefit from the UNHCR's cash assistance programme, which helps close to 128,000 individuals and which provides almost 30,000 refugee families with multi-purpose cash assistance to help with basic needs, according to UNHCR data released in July.

"Refugees of all ages and nationalities depend on UNHCR funded services in their day to day lives," Carlisle said.