Swiss International

Cooperation in Jordan April 2018

Swiss International Cooperation in Jordan April 2018 1

Swiss Cooperation Office Amman

Syrian Family at Zaatari Refugee Camp © SDC

Context

Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a population of more

than 10.1 million people. The UNDP Human Development Report

classifies it as a country of “medium human development” and an

emerging market.

Jordan hosts more than two million Palestine refugees registered

with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine

Refugees (UNRWA). 18% of Palestine refugees live in 13 camps

across Jordan, while the remaining 82% are integrated in

Jordanian cities. In addition, approximately 16,000 Palestine

refugees from Syria have sought refuge in Jordan. The situation of

these refugees is particularly precarious.

Jordan is hosting currently more than 655,000 Syrian refugees,

equalling almost 10% of the local Jordan population. While 21%

live in camps, the vast majority are so-called “urban refugees”,

scattered across villages and towns, seeking shelter wherever

available. Scarce resources and pressure on public services are

fuelling tensions between the refugees and host communities. An

estimated 40,000 asylum seekers are currently stranded at the

north-eastern border between Jordan and Syria with extremely

limited access to humanitarian aid. In addition, Jordan is an

important country of destination for migrant workers from Asia

and Northern Africa. An estimated 1,000,000 foreigners work and

live currently in Jordan out of which only 370,000 are registered in

the Ministry of Labour (MoL).

Swiss Cooperation Strategy Middle East 2015-2018

The overall goal of the Swiss Cooperation Strategy Middle East

2015-2018 for Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria is to contribute to

safe, viable and peaceful living conditions for the conflict-affected

and vulnerable people, reducing fragility, preventing and

transforming conflicts. Based on a “whole-of-government-

approach” (WOGA), this strategy has jointly been developed by

the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

together with the Directorate of Political Affairs, the Swiss

Embassies in the region and the State Secretariat for Migration

(SEM).

Switzerland focuses on three domains of interventions: Basic

Needs and Services, Protection, and Water. Gender Equality, Good

Governance and Disaster Risk Reduction are the transversal

themes of the strategy contributing to the transformation of

relationships and the promotion of inclusion within the society.

In Jordan, SDC and its WOGA partners aim primarily at meeting

the urgent needs of refugees as well as mitigating tensions

between local communities and refugees, while also addressing

more generally migration related challenges.

Domain of intervention 1: Basic Needs and Services

Vulnerable populations are supported to improve their access to

basic needs and services. Self-reliance and coping mechanisms are

to be enhanced while preparedness, response and rehabilitation

mechanisms are to be fostered for addressing natural and man-

made disaster risks.

Under this domain, Switzerland is involved in the following

projects:

• SDC direct implementation - Rehabilitation of Public Schools

in Jordan: as part of the concept of burden sharing, SDC is

supporting the Ministry of Education in the rehabilitation of public

schools hosting Syrian refugee children. Since 2012, 58 schools

were rehabilitated in different governorates for around 50,000

students out of which 6,700 Syrians. The current phase aims at

improving the learning environment in 20 schools. Supporting the

sustainability of school rehabilitation, SDC is partnering with Right

to Play, who is engaging with school management, students and

janitors to improve awareness of school preservation,

maintenance and hygiene.

• Medair - Emergency relief and enhanced self-reliance for since

2013, around 40,000 Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians

through provision of basic needs including cash, livelihood and

health assistance.

• UNRWA – Assistance to Palestinian Refugees: As in previous

years, SDC is contributing CHF 4 million to UNRWA’s General Fund

in Jordan to support the basic services provided to Palestine

refugees and contribute to peace and stability. Additionally SDC is

deploying a GBV Expert from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit to

support UNRWA’s Protection Division in GBV effort.

• ICRC - Emergency Assistance: ICRC is providing essential

goods and first aid medical assistance to refugees and host

communities. It also provides water and sanitation facilities in

collection points in the border areas.

• JCD – Ambulance Services: The Swiss State Secretariat for

Economic Affairs is assisting JCD to improve medical emergency

services through provision of 144 ambulances and training of staff.

The budget for the full duration of the project is CHF 17 Mio., of

which 50% are financed through grants and 50% through loan.

• IFAD – Facility for Refugees, Migrants, Forced Dis-placement

and Rural Stability (FARMS): Switzerland is committed to reducing

poverty and enhancing national food security by improving the

productivity of small ruminants and to assisting Syrian refugees

and host communities to graduate out of poverty through a

package of livelihood support.

Domain of intervention 2: Protection

SDC and its WOGA partners seek to strengthen respect for the

international humanitarian law and human rights and contribute

to conflict transformation, as well as to a protective environment

for conflict-affected and vulnerable populations including IDPs,

refugees and migrants.

The following protection projects are supported:

• UNHCR – Protection and Emergency Assistance: UNHCR aims

to ensure that international protection standards are maintained

Jordan Population: 10.1 million (Department of Statistics

20.03.2018)

Refugee Population:

- Syrian refugees: 661,859 (UNHCR 07.04.2018)

- Palestine refugees: 2,175,491 (UNRWA 01.12.2016)

- Palestine refugees from Syria: 16,000 (UNRWA 09.01.2017)

- Iraqi refugees: 66,564 (UNHCR 31.03.2018)

Migrant workers: 370,000 (officially registered with the MoL)

Swiss contribution planned for 2018: CHF 21 million

Swiss International Cooperation in Jordan April 2018 2

for persons of concern and provides the authorities with technical

support, including timely registration enabling refugees’ access to

basic services. SDC also deployed a protection officer to UNHCR

to support the cross-border unit.

• ICRC – Promotion of International Humanitarian Law: The

ICRC works closely with the National Committee for the

Implementation of International Humanitarian Law so that

universities, national authorities, armed and security forces, the

media, and civil society institutions understand and respect IHL.

(see also Domain 1)

• ILO – Enhancing the capacity of the Workers’ Centre to respond

to the needs of migrant workers: SDC supports the first centre in

Jordan to provide a mix of social, health, and empowerment

opportunities for migrant garment factory workers in Al Hassan

Qualified Industrial Zone, incl. skills training, access to legal aid,

and support in the event of gender based violence.

• Tamkeen Fields for Aid- Protecting the rights of migrant

workers in a mixed migration context in Jordan: through providing

legal aid to migrant and Syrian workers, raising knowledge and

building capacity around rights of migrant workers in international

and national laws.

• UNDP – Developing State-society trust and social cohesion:

This project helps more than 30 local NGOs carry out initiatives

aiming to increase social cohesion in Zarqa, Mafraq and Irbid to

reduce tensions between host communities and refugees.

• NRC – Protecting the legal rights of Syrian refugees and host

communities: through this project funded by SEM, Syrian refugees

and host community members enjoy and exercise their rights to

legal and civil documentation, refugee registration procedures,

housing, land and property and work rights.

• JNCW - Women’s Economic Empowerment: This project aims

at enhancing women’s economic participation by strengthening

cooperatives in targeted communities affected by the Syrian crisis.

• DRC - Child protection in Southern Jordan: The project aims at

improving the capacities of refugee and host communities in

Karak, Ma’an and Tafileh to protect children from harm and to

empower them to be active agents in their own protection.

• IRC – Protection of gender based violence (GBV) survivors for

Syrian refugee and host community women: SDC’s support to IRC

will contribute to building the resilience of GBV survivors and

individuals at risk of GBV as well as reducing negative coping

mechanisms through unconditional cash assistance integrated

within a GBV centred case management approach.

Domain of intervention 3: Water

Under the water domain, SDC seeks to enhance resilient,

sustainable and conflict-sensitive water management.

The interventions aim to increase access to safe water, sanitation

and the efficient use of water for food production, to improve the

basis for integrated water resources management as well as

mitigating water-related disaster risks.

• SHA Experts – SDC is currently deploying a WASH Expert from

the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit to support UNICEF in its

operations in Azraq refugee camp and a GIS Expert to support the

GIS unit of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

• FAO – Reduce vulnerability in Jordan in the context of water

scarcity and increasing food/energy demand: This project aims at

reducing vulnerability of rural Jordanians and other disadvantaged

communities in the context of water scarcity for agriculture,

increased demand for food and livelihood provision from growing

populations, and rising energy demand.

• RSS – Map the vulnerability of aquifers to contamination at 5

landfill sites: The project aims to support the ministries responsible

for solid waste management in the regions most affected by the

Syria crisis. It includes the preparation of vulnerability maps for the

aquifers and the construction of a landfill database.

• Action Against Hunger – Resilience and water optimization in

communities hosting Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians:

This project aims to increase water use efficiency as a response to

the scarce water resources through rehabilitation and upgrading

of water and sanitation facilities, as well as by awareness rising and

capacity building activities on a household to community level in

the northern governorates.

• UNHCR – Operations and Maintenance (O&M) study for the

water, sanitation and energy infrastructure in Syrian Refugee

Camps (Za’atari & Azraq): This project aims at developing a

comprehensive O&M strategy for the energy, water, sanitation

and hygiene service provision in the camps in order to meet

refugees’ needs in a more sustainable way.

• Blue Peace Middle East Programme – Blue Peace program

aims to transform water from a potential source of crisis into a

potential instrument of cooperation and peace through concrete

projects on the ground. Projects in Jordan include: Improve water

supply in host communities in Yarmouk Basin, Media training on

water, creation of a Cooperation Council, start-up opportunities

and training for the water sector and preparation of Hydropolitical

Baseline study for Yarmouk Basin.

• BORDA and SEECON – Sanitation solutions for underserved

communities: the project aims to contribute to better living

conditions through the use of safe treated wastewater for

agricultural and household needs. i.e. watering gardens.

Further information

Regional Swiss Cooperation Office, Amman, Jordan

Phone: +962 6 585 60 20

Fax: +962 6 581 59 56

E-mail: amman@eda.admin.ch

Website: https://www.eda.admin.ch/Swiss_Cooperation_Amman

For more details on the projects, please visit the Project Database

Switzerland’s Main Partners:

- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

- United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

- International Labour Organisation (ILO)

- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

- World Food Programme (WFP)

- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

- Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW)

- Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

- Right to Play

- Medair Switzerland

- Action Against Hunger (ACF)

- International Rescue Committee (IRC)

- Danish Refugee Committee (DRC)

- BORDA & SEECON

- Tamkeen Fields for Aid

- Royal Scientific Society (RSS)

- Ministry of Education (MoE)

- Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MoWI)

- Jordan Civil Defence (JCD)