Every penny counts: Supporting El Fadil as he cares for his children

The fall of the Assad government in December 2024 and Syria’s subsequent political transition marked a turning point after more than a decade of displacement. For hundreds of thousands of Syrians living in Jordan, voluntary return has become a real possibility, although many continue to weigh factors such as housing, livelihoods, access to basic services and security before making a decision. Since the onset of the Syria crisis in 2011, Jordan has hosted large numbers of Syrian refugees seeking international protection. UNHCR significantly expanded its presence and operations to support the Government of Jordan in responding to their needs. Prior to the Syria crisis, UNHCR’s operation in Jordan was comparatively small, serving a few thousand refugees and asylum-seekers, and had expanded following the 2003 Iraq war to assist refugees fleeing Iraq.

Today, UNHCR Jordan's work is focused on two complementary priorities: supporting Syrian refugees who voluntarily choose to return home and assisting those – Syrian or with other nationalities - who remain in Jordan and continue to require international protection and support.

In this context, UNHCR has a dual mandate of implementing protection and assistance programs for refugees and asylum-seekers while also coordinating the broader refugee response in partnership with the Government of Jordan, UN agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders. Through these partnerships, UNHCR supports refugees and asylum-seekers, as well as vulnerable Jordanian communities affected by the impact of displacement.

UNHCR Jordan runs one Country Office located in Amman and has a field presence in Jordan’s two main refugee camps, Azraq and Zaatari as well as in Irbid.