An annual report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan showed that the cash assistance program to meet basic needs remains a major support artery for refugees in Jordan, despite its decline as a result of funding cuts.
The report indicated that the Commission provided about $37.6 million in cash assistance during the year 2025, from which more than 214,000 refugees benefited, through multiple payment methods, including electronic wallets, ATMs, and iris recognition technology.
The report explained that aid is provided comprehensively within the camps, while in host communities it is limited to the poorest and most vulnerable families, based on precise criteria related to income, ability to work, and debt levels.
Despite the positive impact of the cash support, the report indicated that 98% of beneficiary families are still unable to fully meet their basic needs, with continued widespread suffering from food insecurity and difficulties in covering health and education costs, and 45% of refugees reported difficulties in bearing the expenses of treatment and medicines.
With regard to housing, the report recorded a relative improvement compared to previous years, as the percentage of families unable to pay rent and utility bills decreased to 25% among Syrian refugees and 34% among refugees of other nationalities.
The report revealed an increasing dependence of refugees on negative coping strategies, as it indicated that about 80% of families accumulated debt during the month preceding the survey, while more than 70% were forced to buy food on credit. It also showed that 29% of families have withdrawn at least one child from school, in light of their inability to cover educational expenses.
The report recorded an increase in some worrying indicators, including an increase in child labor to 7%, in addition to a number of families resorting to high-risk work to secure income.
On the other hand, the report showed that 96% of families spent the entire cash assistance within one month, which reflects the severity of the need, while the majority of families depend on limited additional sources of income, especially in camps.
In terms of service quality, the report indicated high efficiency in delivering aid, with more than 90% of beneficiaries receiving their entitlements, with an overall satisfaction rate of 97%, despite the presence of some technical challenges associated with the use of ATMs and iris scanning technology.
The report stressed that the cash assistance program, despite its importance, is still insufficient to meet the increasing needs of refugees, in light of the continuing financing gap and economic pressures, which requires strengthening international support to ensure the sustainability of these vital programs.
