A girl sitting in a classroom holding a pencil.
Where we work

Jordan

There are 3.8 million children under 18 in Jordan, over 40% of the population. Of these, almost 30% are non-Jordanian, including many refugees from neighbouring countries. War Child works with local communities to provide vulnerable children with access to vital psychosocial support and education.

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There are over 650,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, nearly half of whom are children. Additionally, more than two million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA reside in Jordan.

The lack of livelihood opportunities and restricted access to essential services, including health care, is resulting in high levels of protection risks in Jordan, especially among women and children.

Child labour is prominent, with around 75,000 children aged 5 to 17 forced to work, sacrificing their education to support their families. Child marriages, predominantly among Syrian refugees, are on the rise.

Jordan is also one of the world’s most water-deprived nations. Climate change is leading to record low levels of rainfall, and the increase in temperature is driving desertification, reducing the water supply and Amman further exacerbating water scarcity.

Scale of the challenge

  • 2.3 M

    people registered refugees

  • 75000

    children aged 15-17 forced to work

Our work in Jordan

War Child began its work in Jordan in early 2013, supporting vulnerable children and families affected by the Syrian refugee crisis. 

Since then, we have continued to focus on giving children affected by violence the opportunity to reclaim their childhood and build a brighter future. We achieve this through evidence-based programmes focussed on child protection, education, and psychosocial support delivered in Amman, Zarqa, Shokbak, Mafraq and Irbid.

I go to War Child every day, including the weekends. Everyone is so nice and every time I learn something new. Things are now much better at home too - my parents are talking more with me and my brothers.
Alaa, aged 11.

War Child Programmes include:

  • Providing mobile libraries to empower vulnerable children with knowledge, boosting literacy through reading and writing and igniting a passion for learning through creativity. 
  • Reinforcing the country’s education structure in cooperation with the Jordan’s Ministry of Education. Through our EdTech programme ‘Can’t Wait To Learn’ we support communities who have encountered educational challenges. 
  • Delivering Early Childhood Education (ECD) in a supportive environment to vulnerable and displaced children aged 0-6. 
  • Helping to prepare refugee children for primary school and further education by combining emergency education, child protection and psychosocial support.
  • Improving caregivers’ mental health and wellbeing, lowering stress and enhancing positive parenting skills for children affected by conflict. 
  • Providing mental health support to children and young people through movement-based activities such as sport and dance to strengthen their resilience in a network of safe spaces.
  • Preventing and responding to child labour and early marriable through education and case management.
A group of children and some War Child staff in Jordan.
Photo taken by Michael Jessurun
A donation from you will mean life-saving aid for children affected by conflict. 

With your help, we can continue to support vulnerable children for as long as they need us.

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