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Jordan: Facts and figures, January to December 2018

In 2018, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jordan continued to support vulnerable host communities and Syrian refugees alike, by providing assistance and strengthening their self-sufficiency and resilience in a sustainable manner, through livelihood and water infrastructure projects. 

In the reporting period, the ICRC carried out a wide range of activities, in some cases in partnership with the Jordan Red Crescent Society (JRCS). These activities include: restoring family links, visiting detainees, helping families of missing persons, promoting respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) and supporting health care providers and other relevant institutions to increase their capacity to respond to emergencies.

On a regional level, the delegation in Jordan provided large-scale logistical and training support to the other ICRC delegations in the Middle East. In close collaboration with the Amman-based regional affairs team, the delegation also provided expertise on key issues to the delegations in the region.

Economic security

To help Syrian refugees and local communities cover their basic needs, the ICRC, in cooperation with the JRCS:

  • Conducted four distributions of food parcels and hygiene kits to 22,315 Syrians and Jordanians in the governorates of Madaba, Karak, Tafileh, Maan and Aqaba.
  • Provided monthly cash assistance to 8,177 Syrian refugees – mainly female-headed households – in Mafraq Governorate.
  • Launched 95 microeconomic initiatives* in favor of 514 Syrian refugees.
  • Supported the JRCS to organize a training course on economic security for 20 volunteers.

Water and habitat

To improve access to clean water for Syrian refugees and local communities, the ICRC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the Yarmouk Water Company and Maan Water Administration: 

  • Rehabilitated Mukiftah water transmission line and Beshriyyeh water reservoir in Mafraq Governorate and constructed Harema, Malka, Seveen and Kofor Asad pumping stations in Irbid Governorate and Al-Tahooneh water reservoir in Maan Governorate, for the collective benefit of more than 186,000 people.
  • Trained 17 engineers and operators from the Yarmouk Water Company on operating and maintaining Malka and Harema pumping stations in Irbid Governorate.
  • Provided the Yarmouk Water Company with tools and equipment to detect and repair water leaks, in addition to lifting equipment for gas cylinders for water disinfection.
  • Rehabilitated a water tanker filling point in Beshriyyeh in Mafraq Governorate that provides water to livestock, a main source of livelihood for more than 12,000 Syrian refugees and members of the local community. 

Health care

As part of its efforts to support the health care system in Jordan, the ICRC:

  • Provided medical equipment to six emergency departments in Maan Hospital, Ruwayshid Hospital, Zarqa Hospital, Northern Badia Hospital, Prince Zeid Bin Al-Hussein Hospital in Tafileh and Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein Hospital in Karak, which collectively received 553,800 patients in 2018.
  • Organized 17 training courses on first aid and pre-hospital care, basic life support, mass casualty incident management and advanced cardiac life support for 873 members of the Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of Civil Defence and the Royal Medical Services.
  • Organized a training course on emergency room trauma care for 27 members of the Ministry of Health and the Royal Medical Services.
  • Sponsored the participation of three health staff in the Health Emergencies in Large Populations (HELP) course in Johns Hopkins University, USA, and supported three health staff to obtain a diploma in the Clinical Management of Weapon-Wounded Patients in Lebanon.
  • Supported the treatment of 20 weapon-wounded admitted from Syria.
  • Supported the JRCS to organize four training courses and one Training of Trainers (ToT) course on first aid for 107 volunteers.
  • Supported 101 people through the physical rehabilitation program. 
  • Provided mentoring and practical training to 11 members of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Department at the University of Jordan.
  • Signed a memorandum of understanding with the Public Security Directorate and the Ministry of Health to improve health care services in Juwaida (women) and Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers and Al Bashir Hospital Detention Ward.
  • Rehabilitated the female section in Al Bashir Hospital Detention Ward.
  • Conducted 42visits to 19 places of detention to assess the quality of health care services.
  • Sponsored the participation of four governmental representatives in the health in detention course in Basel University, Switzerland.
  • Conducted a health care in detention workshop for 25 representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers Department.

Restoring family links

To help families restore/ maintain contact with their relatives, the ICRC:

  • Facilitated 15,136 phone calls for Syrian refugees in Zaatari, Azraq and the Emirati-Jordanian camps to help them maintain contact with family members in Syria and elsewhere, in cooperation with the JRCS.
  • Issued travel documents to 14 foreigners, upon the request of the UNHCR and certain embassies.
  • Supported the JRCS to organize a workshop on restoring family links for 15 volunteers.

Ensuring respect for the life and dignity of people deprived of their liberty

To help improve detainees’ treatment and living conditions, the ICRC:

  • Ensured an individual follow up of 1,202 detainees during 58 visits to 21 places of detention.
  • Exchanged 728 Red Cross Messages and oral greetings (safe & well messages) between detainees and their relatives in Jordan and elsewhere.
  • Provided 15 released detainees or their families with attestations of detention.
  • Notified relevant embassies of the detention of 236 foreigners, as well as 111 foreign detainees to the UNHCR.
  • Referred the cases of 168 detainees to legal aid organizations.
  • Conducted 27 sessions on the ICRC’s work in places of detention, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules) and other standards for staff of the Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers Department. 
  • Held a working meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Justice on alternatives to detention.
  • Hosted the third multi-sectorial discussion on the detention of female domestic migrant workers, with the participation of 40 representatives from the government, non-governmental organizations and concerned embassies.

Providing support to families of missing persons

To help families of persons who went missing in Syria, the ICRC conducted a multidisciplinary assessment in 11 governorates and in Zaatari and Azraq camps. The assessment supported the ICRC in identifying the needs of the families of missing persons, which will be addressed directly or indirectly through referral mechanisms. It included:

  • 30 direct interviews with 30 families counting 67 missing relatives.
  • Three mental health and psychosocial support focus groups with 28 family members sharing 23 missing relatives.
  • Four economic security focus groups with 65 family members reporting 49 missing relatives.

Promotion of IHL

To promote respect for IHL and humanitarian principles, the ICRC:

  • Conducted sessions on the Law of Armed Conflict for 709 officers from the Jordan Armed Forces.
  • Conducted sessions on International Human Rights Law and international policing standards for 324 officers from the Public Security Directorate, the General Directorate of Gendarmerie Forces and the General Directorate of Civil Defence.
  • Held two seminars about IHL and Islam for 250 Islamic Law professors and students from Mutah and Zarqa Universities.
  • Held sessions about humanitarian principles for 220 representatives of Islamic charities in the governorates of Amman, Irbid and Mafraq.
  • Held two seminars on IHL for 65 diplomatic attachés at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the National Commission for the Implementation of IHL (NCIHL).
  • Organized an IHL workshop for 25 journalists, in collaboration with the NCIHL and the Jordan Press Association.
  • Organized a seminar on the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement   jointly with the JRCS for 15 journalists.
  • Organized jointly with the NCIHL the fourth national moot court competition on IHL and International Criminal Law with the participation of 10 universities. 
  • Sponsored the participation of eight professors from law and Sharia faculties and one representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in regional training courses on IHL.
  • Supported the integration of an IHL module in the military science curriculum following an initiative led by the NCIHL.

Working in partnership with the Jordan Red Crescent Society

As part of its efforts to support the JRCS, the ICRC:

  • Facilitated a safer access framework assessment and planning workshop* for 30 JRCS participants.
  • Facilitated a Red Crescent Action Team Training for 25 JRCS participants- supported by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society- to increase the JRCS capacity to respond to emergencies.
  • Supported the JRCS’s Vocational Training Center by funding the training of 310 Syrian and Jordanian women in hairdressing, cooking, sewing and computer skills.
  • Financially supported the salaries of 11 JRCS staff who contribute to the daily running of activities implemented in partnership with the ICRC.

Regional logistical support

The ICRC shipped by road, sea and air the following items from the Logistics Support Center in Amman to Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and the Palestinian Occupied Territories: 

  • 109,473 food parcels, 67,885 hygiene parcels and 401,372 non-food items (i.e. blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets and tarpaulins).
  • 2,840 metric tons of medical supplies.
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