Jordan

A small Arab nation with apopulation just over 11 million
people, Jordan has become home
to millions of refugees fleeing
violence in neighboring countries.
International Medical Corps has
been supporting refugees in Jordan
since the influx of Iraqi refugees
after the 2003 war. In 2012, we

expanded our support to Syrian
refugees following the devastatingcrisis in neighboring Syria.
Today, International Medical Corps provides vital
healthcare, nutrition, mental health and psychosocial
support (MHPSS), child protection (CP), genderbased violence (GBV) prevention and responseservices and livelihoods-support programming
across the country’s urban areas and its Azraq andZaatari refugee camps.

Jordan hosts the second-highest percapita share of refugees in the world,with more than 630,000 hailing fromSyria, and others from Iraq, Yemen,
Sudan and Somalia. 82% of therefugees live in urban areas, but due tolimited job opportunities the majority
live below the poverty line.
In addition to refugees based in urban areas, Jordan
hosts two major refugee camps—Azraq and Zaatari—withpopulations of more than 42,000 and 78,000, respectively.
We have been operating in both camps since their opening,collaborating with the Jordanian government and various
United Nations agencies, as well as with peer NGOs, toprovide critical health, nutrition, MHPSS, CP, and GBV
prevention and response services.
Although Jordan has one of the best healthcare systems in
the region, the needs of vulnerable refugees have stretchednational resources, with the rising costs of essential
commodities exacerbating the situation. Many refugees
live in neighborhoods already facing multiple challenges,
including limited access to medical care, higher-than-average
unemployment rates, high inflation rates, substandard living
conditions and overburdened schools.

WHERE WE WORK

Irbid
AjlounRamthaMafraqZaatari Camp

JerashAzraq Camp
Zarqa

Balqa

Amman
Karak

Tafeelah

Ma’an
Aqaba

CHILD
PROTECTION
COMMUNITY
CENTERGENDER BASEDVIOLENCESERVICES
HOSPITAL AND
HEALTH CLINICLIVELIHOODSAND ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTSERVICESMENTAL HEALTH
CLINICNUTRITIONSERVICESHEALTHCAREInternational Medical Corps provides free and comprehensive primary,secondary and tertiary healthcare services in hospitals, health clinics
and emergency rooms—both within and outside the camps. AcrossJordan, we support dedicated health teams in numerous medical
specialties, including general practice, reproductive healthcare,emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and pediatric, mental health,pharmaceutical and diagnostic services.
We have provided extensive healthcare services at the Azraq campsince it was established in 2014 and now run the camp’s only hospital,
providing comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care,emergency and general medicine interventions, a pediatric in-patient
department, X-ray, laboratory analysis and a pharmacy. At the hospitaland three primary healthcare clinics, we provide an average of 16,500
consultations every month.
We have provided healthcare services at the Zaatari camp since 2018,
including primary healthcare and mental health care, emergency andtriage services, and ambulatory treatment for cases of moderate andsevere acute malnutrition. In 2020, we established a 24/7 emergency
room to manage acute medical and surgical emergencies. In Zaatari,
as in Azraq camp, International Medical Corps remains the soleprovider of 24/7 health services.
To help people inside and outside the camp access treatment,
we work with a network of public and private hospitals to manage
lifesaving emergencies, urgent, non-acute and elective referrals. Ouradvanced health informatics systems increase the efficiency of service
delivery. This includes the Pharmaceutical Information Management
System (PIMS), an inventory management and automation softwaretool developed by International Medical Corps for use in remote andlow-resource settings. We also leverage continuity-of-care softwarethat manages patient processing across all healthcare service levels.

MENTAL HEALTH ANDPSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORTThe psychological toll of the Syrian war on refugees isimmense. Forced from their homes, many have experienced
extreme levels of violence, fear and loss. In Jordan, they face amultitude of psychosocial stressors, including the pressure tostart again in a new country—uncertain when, or even if, theywill return home.
We are the country’s largest provider of MHPSS services after
the Ministry of Health (MoH), and we co-chair the MHPSS
Working Group at the national level. We are dedicated toproviding comprehensive support to the population andbuilding the country’s capacity through our training, advocacy
and research efforts.
We deliver comprehensive mental health services at 18 clinics,including four clinics inside Azraq and Zaatari camps, where welead the MHPSS programs. Our multidisciplinary teams include
psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, pharmacists
and case managers. Through a case management approach,which prioritizes clients’ bio-psychosocial needs and goals, we
provide specialized mental health services to approximately
8,000 people each year. These include psychiatric consultations,psychotherapy, psychoeducation and home visits. We train staff
to provide holistic care that is integrated with other services, suchas GBV prevention, child protection and livelihoods assistance.
We also provide caregiver training for families of children withdevelopmental delays or disabilities.
We advocate for the integration of mental health care into theprimary healthcare, education and social protection sectors.
Since 2015, our staff have provided MHPSS services at clinics
run by the MoH. We train MoH staff and other primary healthcare
providers on MHPSS topics. By providing training and capacitybuilding services to a range of stakeholders, and by partneringwith local universities to provide internship and training
opportunities, we are working to increase access to MHPSS
services while reducing the stigma surrounding them.
We have also developed a free mobile app to make MHPSS
services available online. First launched during the COVID-19
pandemic when access to in-person MHPSS services became
restricted, the RELAX app continues to provide flexible support topeople who need it.

CHILD PROTECTION AND
YOUTH EMPOWERMENTProviding services in nine child-friendly safe-space facilities—
both within the refugee camps and in urban areas—International
Medical Corps is a leading specialized provider of comprehensive
CP case management in Jordan. We manage the most complex CP
concerns, safeguarding the well-being of children at risk of various
forms of child protection concerns, such as violence, abuse,neglect and exploitation. We also manage cases of separated andunaccompanied children, child marriage and child labor.
By identifying children who are at risk of emotional distressdue to these CP concerns, we deliver a range of psychosocial
support offerings, including individual or group sessions andstructured or unstructured activities. Our psychosocial support also
targets children’s families, helping caregivers provide a healthierenvironment for children.

Through our Youth Empowerment Program, we engage under18s in psychosocial support activities, helping them build skills
and knowledge to develop community-driven projects that
promote social cohesion.
Our efforts to build local capacity for child protection include
training partner NGOs/INGOs, governmental stakeholders andlocal community-based organizations on CP case management
and other related CP topics. As an active member of the Child
Protection Information Management System—and former
administrator and co-chair of its steering committee—our CPteam has led efforts to ensure high-quality service delivery. We
play a key role in coordination and collaboration by co-chairinga sub-working group and participating in various working
groups and task forces.

LIVELIHOODS ANDECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTin Amman and Irbid, we lead vocational training courses that
equip refugees and Jordanians with valuable skills that improvetheir job prospects and enable them to generate a sustainable
income. Our approach emphasizes a holistic perspective byintegrating vocational training with child protection and mental
health programming. We provide comprehensive support andcare to whole families throughout the process.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Collaborating with the Ministry of Social Development, we
provide GBV case management services, referrals, psychosocial
support, awareness raising, counseling, life skills andempowerment activities for child survivors of GBV. We trainother frontline humanitarian workers in GBV case management
and safe referral, including GBV mandatory reporting to thegovernment’s Family Protection and Juvenile Department.
Recognizing that addressing GBV requires more than immediate
interventions, we’re committed to holistic care and support, aswell as long-term solutions that address underlying factors andpromote resilience. We participate in public awareness andbehavioral change campaigns, including 16 Days of Activism,
International Women’s Day and the Day of the Girl Child.

NUTRITION
International Medical Corps remains the primary agency
implementing nutrition programs through four nutrition clinics
across Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps. Our comprehensive
nutrition program encompasses two key components: a
supplementary and therapeutic feeding program, whichclosely follows integrated management of acute malnutrition

www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org
A pre-eminent first responder since 1984, International
Medical Corps delivers emergency medical and related
services to those affected by conflict, disaster anddisease, no matter where they are, no matter what theconditions. We also train people in their communities,
providing them with the skills they need to recover, chart
their own path to self-reliance and become effective first
responders themselves.
July 2024

guidelines, and an infant and young-child feeding program,which operates in line with the global standards set by theWorld Health Organization and UNICEF. We worked through2023 with the World Food Programme to implement a social
and behavioral change communication approach to improving
maternal and child nutrition among refugee populations.

COUNTRYCONTACT:

Ahmad Bawaneh, Country Director
abawaneh@InternationalMedicalCorps.org

HEADQUARTERS
CONTACT:

Elsona Agolli, Deputy Director(Middle East and Europe)
eagolli@InternationalMedicalCorps.org.uk

International Medical Corps is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, and hasoffices in Washington, DC; London, UK; and Split, Croatia.
For contact information, visit internationalmedicalcorps.org/contact.