—UNICEF warns water scarcity, economic pressure, regional instability are deepening vulnerabilities across refugee communities

—83,000 people in refugee camps rely on UNICEF-supported water, sanitation services

—17,000+ children risk losing life-saving health interventions if financing gaps persist

Mai Anati - AMMAN — Marc Rubin, UNICEF Representative to Jordan, has warned that widening funding gaps and growing economic pressures are threatening critical services for refugee children in Jordan, as the Kingdom continues hosting one of the world’s highest refugee-to-population ratios.

In an interview with The Jordan Times, Rubin said Jordan hosts 388,000+ registered Syrian refugees, including 195,000+ children as of April 2026.

He noted that two-thirds of Syrian refugees continue living below the poverty line despite growing returns to Syria, while economic pressures continue increasing vulnerabilities among refugee families and children.

Jordan also remains one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, with thousands of refugees relying on humanitarian support for basic services.

According to UNICEF, 83,000 people in refugee camps rely on UNICEF-supported water and sanitation services.

Rubin said UNICEF continues supporting climate-resilient water systems in cooperation with the Government of Jordan amid growing environmental and resource pressures.

The organisation also warned that funding shortages are threatening critical health and nutrition services.

According to UNICEF, 17,000+ children risk losing life-saving health interventions if financing gaps persist.

Beyond basic services, UNICEF highlighted growing social and psychological challenges facing refugee children.

"Nearly 3 in 4 children experience violent discipline at home,” Rubin said, noting that refugee children continue facing high psychological stress linked to displacement and poverty.

Through 114 Makani centres across Jordan, UNICEF reached 87,000+ children with learning, protection and life skills services.

Youth unemployment also remains a major challenge among refugee communities.

According to UNICEF, youth unemployment among Syrian refugees reached 36 per cent in Q4 2024, compared with 17 per cent for Jordanians.

The agency said that it reached 90,000+ young people in 2025 through empowerment programmes, while over 34,000 young people received market-driven skills training.

Despite the scale of needs, UNICEF warned that humanitarian financing remains under severe strain.

Rubin said that UNICEF urgently needs flexible funding to sustain water, health, nutrition, learning and protection services.

He added that UNICEF faces a 69 per cent funding gap for 2026 and a projected 90 per cent WASH funding gap in refugee camps for 2027.

"Without financing, vulnerable children risk losing essential services,” he warned.

UNICEF said the Kingdom continues playing a central humanitarian role in supporting regional relief operations.

Since November 2023, UNICEF has facilitated more than 1,600 humanitarian trucks and five airlifts through the Jordan Corridor, delivering essential supplies worth more than USD 54 million to support urgent response efforts in the State of Palestine.

Rubin also said UNICEF continues strengthening Jordan’s social protection systems and emergency preparedness amid ongoing regional uncertainty.

In 2025, UNICEF advanced Jordan’s National Social Protection Strategy and strengthened linkages between cash assistance and essential services to help build resilience amid regional instability.

The organisation also maintains a strategic stockpile of supplies worth USD 3.7 million in Jordan to ensure readiness for emergency response operations across the region.

UNICEF described Jordan as a vital regional humanitarian hub, stressing that it continues working closely with the Government and partners to monitor risks and respond rapidly to emerging crises.

The Jordan Times