Priorities

Ensure the most vulnerable refugee households can meet their basic non-food household expenditure needs and have access to NFIs protecting them from winter

Needs

Refugees stated that cash was their biggest need, when elaborating this was broken down as follows: 1) Rent (and utilities, including water) 2) Fresh food, vegetables, dairy products, meat/chicken) 3) Other basic household expenditure items (medicines/health care, baby items, schooling items (including transportation to school), clothes, furniture/mattresses, blankets). Cash assistance was proposed as the best way to respond to these needs.

Main Findings

JRC has registered almost as many refugees as UNHCR, for the purposes of relief distributions; however there is a degree of overlap between the datasets, as well as between the beneficiary lists of local organizations under the JHCO umbrella. A sizeable proportion of JRC-registered refugees are not registered with UNHCR, due to their concerns around privacy and protection. The priority need of refugees who are living in the community is cash, to provide access to the market and meet basic household needs. Within this, rent is overwhelmingly the main need; followed by fresh food, medicines, items for babies and children, and items for winter. Refugees do not face a food security problem, as there are continuing food aid and food voucher distributions; also refugees prioritise the cash they have to purchase food on the market. Part of food aid is often re-sold by refugees, to generate cash for basic household expenditures. Most refugees are renting their own accommodation, and many are unable to pay rent and utility costs, or are in debt to landlords for rent payments. The housing rental market is tight, adequate accommodation is difficult for refugees to find, and rents have risen significantly in most areas. Winter will bring higher utility costs, and refugees need cash to purchase heaters, fuel, blankets and warm clothes. There are few reliable income sources for households. Income from work is consistently ranked below aid/charity, which is the primary income source. Opportunities for refugees to work are limited, with only poorly paid informal work sometimes evidenced. This is particularly true outside of Amman. It was commonly reported around the country that some teenage children are working. Savings are now very limited, with most refugees having depleted the resources they brought with them (including having sold assets). Refugees are often in debt, especially for rent.