Programs Five-Country Focus Iraqi Refugees in Jordan
Background
The war in Iraq created a massive refugee crisis. Several million people left their homes in search of safety. An estimated 500,000 to 700,000 refugees fled to Jordan, a country with already limited resources. In 2008 and 2009, some have returned to Iraq as security conditions began to improve, but several hundred thousand remain, living precarious lives.
There are also an estimated 2.8 million internally displaced people in Iraq, according to the International Organization for Migration. Women and children are particularly vulnerable and many have been left alone because the men in the family have been killed.
Refugees have limited access to basic health services, including reproductive health care, and they have little or no source of sustainable income. Iraqis reported to us in 2008 that women and girls have resorted to selling their bodies to support themselves and their families, and that domestic violence is a growing problem as a result of the stressful and desperate situation families find themselves in.
The Women's Refugee Commission in Jordan
The Women's Refugee Commission undertook a field mission to Jordan in October 2008 to meet with Iraqi refugee women and youth and hear their stories firsthand, following up on a 2007 mission to the same area. The focus of the delegations was reproductive health, including gender-based violence. The 2008 delegation found that significant progress had been made by international humanitarian agencies and the government of Jordan to assist refugees since the 2007 delegation’s visit. However, Iraqi women and girls were still at risk of sexual violence, and those who had been raped were in a particularly bad situation, with only three options if they chose to report the rape: 1) to marry the rapist; 2) to be sent to prison for their own protection from their family; or 3) to be killed by their family for dishonoring them. Read more.
Read our 2007 report, Iraqi Refugee Women and Youth in Jordan: Reproductive Health Findings.
In 2007, we also conducted an assessment of refugees with disabilities in Jordan as part of our global study on this issue. The report, Disabilities among Refugees and Conflict-affected Populations, found that refugees with disabilities are among the most underserved and neglected people in the world. The accompanying Resource Kit for Fieldworkers provides practical ideas for field workers on how to improve services and protection for refugees with disabilities and enhance their inclusion and participation in community affairs.
Future Plans
How You Can Take Action
One of our priorities is to advocate for the needs of Iraqi refugee women, children and young people. The U.S. government has a special responsibility to these refugees.
Help raise awareness and resources for Iraqi refugee women, children and youth.
Reports
Videos and Photos
The Women's Refugee Commission produced a video on gender-based violence against Iraqi refugee women and girls. Running time: 6 minutes.
View more short videos by the Women's Refugee Commission on this issue:
Desperate and Alone: Iraqi Refugee Women and Youth in Jordan
The Health Care Crisis for Iraqi Refugees in Jordan
Browse our photo essay on Iraqi refugees in Jordan.
From The Field
Read our diary entries to see how every day in Jordan is a fight for survival for refugees.
Voices of Iraqi Women
Selected Media Coverage
Last updated June 2009
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