What future for the Syrian refugees in Jordan?
Audio 02:31
Syrian refugees in a camp on the border between Syria and Jordan.
(Illustrative image) AFP - KHALIL MAZRAAWI
By: Hermine Le Clech
3 min
More and more difficult living conditions in a very specific context: the rapprochement between Damascus and Amman.
For several months, the two regimes have been stepping up discussions, reopening their borders and resuming economic exchanges.
A situation that worries the 1.4 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, caught between the threat of forced return and a precarious daily life.
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From our correspondent in Ad-Dafyaneh camp on the border between Syria and Jordan,
They are nearly 200 refugees living in the village of Ad-Dafyaneh, 5 km from Syria.
Unlike the official camps supervised by the Jordanian government, here no solid houses.
The refugees live in tents made of tarpaulins and blankets.
The economic crisis only worsens an already precarious situation.
“Every
year, life gets more difficult,”
says Sahar, originally from northern Syria
.
I always have to spend more on my children, in diapers, in milk.
But there is no work.
We have nothing, no means of transport.
I can't even provide an education for my son.
"
Since the onset of the health crisis, jobs have become increasingly scarce.
As a result, many refugees now rely only on the presence of NGOs.
But here too, the situation is deteriorating.
Basma fled Aleppo with her family seven years ago.
“
Aid is falling more and more.
We are no longer receiving monthly payments or food stamps.
It's difficult, really difficult and it scares me.
"
Because lack of funds, many NGOs put an end to their projects.
This is the case, for example, of the Italian organization Vento di Terra, present since 2014 in Jordan.
For Heba Abu Ghazleh, field project coordinator, the situation is alarming.
“
Donors are focusing on other countries, so most NGOs in Jordan close their offices and leave.
It will directly impact the refugees.
Health assistance and cash distribution services will stop, education services will be cut.
After we leave, there will be nothing left for them.
"
The fear of returning to Syria
Despite everything, few refugees imagine returning to Syria.
First for economic reasons, underlines Ahmed, in Jordan since 2014: “I
worked on a farm, but the war destroyed everything.
Now there is no more land to cultivate, no more work or no house to live in.
"
Others fear the repression of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Sitting on a cushion, his features drawn, Khaled listens to the voice messages sent by his family still in Syria.
She begs him to stay in Jordan.
“
What I want is to be safe.
I cannot afford to go back to Syria, because there I am threatened.
Even though life is expensive here, if I come back, my family will be in danger and they will kill me.
"
Only 280,000 Syrians out of the more than six million who fled the country have officially returned since 2016. Coming from Lebanon and Jordan, many of them have suffered violence and abuse on their return.
►
To read also
:
For the Syrians refugees in Jordan, the time of return has not yet come
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Jordan
Syria
Refugees