What does slashing cash aid mean for Syrian refugees in Jordan?

Lack of assistance 'will push refugees on to irregular routes towards Europe', warns UNHCR

Cash aid for residents at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan will be reduced in August. Getty

Lack of humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees living in Jordan could push them on to dangerous routes towards Europe, the UN refugee agency said on Wednesday.

The warning comes after the UN food agency announced it will reduce cash aid for 120,000 Syrian refugees living in two camps, Zaatari and Azraq, in Jordan.

The monthly cash allowance for camp residents will be cut to $21, from $32, starting in August, the World Food Programme said on Tuesday.

The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees said: “The number of refugee families who cannot pay their rent and are at risk of eviction from their homes has risen by 66 per cent from December 2022 to February 2023.”

This is based on data collected from camps in Jordan.

“Another consequence of lack of assistance is that it may push refugees on to irregular routes towards Europe,” the UNHCR said in a statement.

Jordan shares a border with war-torn Syria and is host to nearly 1.3 million refugees, the second-highest share per capita in the world.

Nearly 760,000 are registered Syrians who fled the country after the 2011 uprising against the rule of President Bashar Al Assad descended into civil war. The rest are unregistered refugees.

Amman mostly depends on foreign aid to help the refugees it is hosting.

“Jordan has done so much, and donors need to recognise what is at risk”, Dominik Bartsch, UNHCR Representative in Jordan said in a statement.

Determined and co-ordinated action is needed to “keep the success story Jordan alive”, he said.

The agency warns that the refugees will not be protected if they leave the camps and will be exposed to “exploitation, abuse, and death”.

“The recent shipwreck off Greece was a stark reminder that people who do not see a perspective, make desperate choices,” Mr Bartsch said, referring to Mediterranean’s worst boat disaster last month which resulted in the death of more than 80 refugees with 500 lost at sea while attempting to cross to Europe.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi said the kingdom will consult with other countries hosting Syrian refugees “to develop a joint response to declining support”.

Mr Al Safadi said Jordan cannot fill the gap that the UN and other aid agencies will leave.

“Refugees will suffer. This is not on Jordan. It is on those who are cutting support. We can’t carry this burden alone,” he said on Twitter earlier this month.

“We urge WFP and others cutting subsidies to Syrian refugees to reverse [the] decision. Providing dignified lives to refugees is a global responsibility. It is not ours alone as host country.

“The UN must work to enable voluntary return. Until then, its agencies must keep sufficient support,” he added.

In May, Mr Al Safadi told UN officials in Geneva that although Jordan has “exceeded its capacity” to deal with the refugees, they should not be forced to return to Syria.