Background
As of August 2019, Jordan hosts some 748,000 refugees of which over 80% are refugees from Syria. Now, in its ninth year, the situation across Syria remains precarious. Jordan is also home to 56 other nationalities of refugees, predominantly from neighboring Iraq, Yemen, and Sudan and Somalia, all of whom live in urban areas.
Children account to 48% of the overall refugee population in Jordan with over 10% registered as children at risk or unaccompanied or separated children.
Host countries, like Jordan, are struggling to maintain social and economic stability. Over 80% of the urban refugee population remains below the national poverty line of ($100) per capita per month. Despite the growing needs, due to limited funding many are instead facing potential cuts to services such as health assistance, education and cash assistance. As a result of large and protracted displacement crises, refugees are at heightened risk of depletion of resources, exploitation, lack of livelihood opportunities as well as increased levels of violence. Recent studies show that extended stay in Jordan for many refugee populations results in decreased levels of support and opportunities. In this context, children are exposed to various protection risks, including exposure to abuse and neglect, separation from parents and other family members, exposure to harmful coping mechanisms, including child marriage and child labor, high levels of psychological distress and lack of positive development opportunities.
Child Protection
Child Protection within emergencies or humanitarian contexts aims at preventing and responding to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children and to ensure the wellbeing of children. Within the humanitarian context child wellbeing is a dynamic, subjective and objective state of physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual and social health in which children:
? are safe from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence;
? meet their basic needs, including survival and development;
? are connected to and cared for by primary caregivers;
? have the opportunity for supportive relationships with relatives, peers, teachers, community members and society at large, and have the opportunity and elements required to exercise their agency based on their emerging capacities
Main Child Protection risks in Jordan
According to the Child Protection Information Management System where core Child Protection case management agencies store information and data of children at risk and those unaccompanied or separated, over 3,100 children were supported with comprehensive case management services between January and June 2019. Main Child Protection risks include:
? Children’s exposure to physical, emotional and sexual violence in private or public spaces
? High levels of child neglect by family members often related to harmful cultural practices as well as inability to cope with affects of displacement and psychological distress of parents/caregivers
? High number of children exposed to child labor and exploitation, including worst forms of child labor
? Increasing numbers of child marriage affecting mainly girls between 15- 17 years
? Separation of children from parents/caregivers due to safety concerns, displacement or social norms
? High levels of psychological distress (lack of hope, limited educational opportunities and stability)