About the Situation
By the Numbers
More than 6,508,000 people live in Jordan
14.2% of the people in Jordan live below the poverty line
13.4% of the population is unemployed
(Source: U.S. government)
Jordan’s population has doubled 12 times during the past 60 years, according to the United Nations. Large influxes of refugees from neighboring areas, including Palestine and Iraq, present significant challenges for Jordan, whicch already has very limited natural resources.
Waves of population growth has strained the country’s infrastructure, resources and basic services, and has affected the jobs opportunities available to Jordan’s 6.5 million people. Joblessness yields increasing levels of poverty, which has hit Jordan’s rural areas particularly hard.
In recent decades, Jordan has enjoyed improvements in the indicators the UN uses to measure human development—health, education and living standards—but the recent global economic slowdown has taken a toll on living conditions in Jordan.
How Islamic Relief is Helping
Islamic ReliefTM began working in Jordan in 1997, sponsoring orphans living in Palestinian refugee camps—an effort that continues some 15 years later. Most recent, Islamic Relief has focused on alleviating food insecurity for children across the country.
Here are some current and recently completed programs in Jordan:
- Student food security program
It is estimated that 4% of Jordanian families living in impoverished areas have to withdraw their children from school because of the additional financial strains imposed upon them because of increasing food prices places. IR is supporting a Ministry of Health program providing food to schoolchildren across Jordan. The program strives to alleviate food insecurity and improve the nutritional status of children in Jordan. - Orphan support
- Ramadan food distribution
- Udhiyah/Qurbani meat distribution
