The Swiss Embassy in Amman and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed an agreement to improve access to water and sanitation services for the most vulnerable children and families in Syrian refugee camps and host communities in Jordan.
According to a UNICEF statement issued on Sunday, 30 November, the Swiss contribution amounts to 2.85 million Swiss francs (3.5 million US dollars).
The new agreement focuses on supporting national systems that provide sustainable water and sanitation services and on strengthening their ability to adapt to climate change in camps and host communities, while building on years of cooperation between the two sides to advance progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the statement said.
UNICEF Deputy Representative in Jordan, Cheroz Mogi, said Switzerland is “a key partner” in efforts to provide a safe and healthy environment for every child, adding that the new funding will help improve the lives of the most vulnerable groups and strengthen essential service infrastructure in the water and sanitation sector.
For her part, Eileen Hofstetter, Head of International Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to supporting Jordan in meeting the needs of Syrian refugees in camps, while also supporting development in host communities through initiatives covering water, sanitation, education, protection, and livelihood opportunities.
She added that this contribution reinforces the partnership with UNICEF and supports Jordan’s priorities in sustainably developing water and sanitation services.
The agreement is part of ongoing cooperation between Switzerland and UNICEF, aimed at strengthening national systems and enhancing Jordan’s capacity to address infrastructure challenges, especially in areas affected by large numbers of Syrian refugees.
Funding losses
UN Resident Coordinator in Jordan, Sheri Ritsema-Anderson, said the United Nations has experienced some funding losses this year, which have affected services provided to refugees.
In remarks on 23 November, Ritsema-Anderson noted that the current year has been one of the most difficult for the UN system and humanitarian programs worldwide, stressing that these difficulties have also reached Jordan and have had a tangible impact on some programs and services, particularly those provided to refugees.
She pointed out, however, that there is a positive side in that many donors are doing all they can to keep funding stable, noting that the UN received around 680 million US dollars in Jordan last year.
Ritsema-Anderson added that the United Nations is doing its utmost to maintain its programs to ensure communities receive the assistance they need and to minimize any negative impact on services.
“We are really doing everything we can to make that happen, and I am confident that we will be able to continue providing the services that communities need,” she said.
She explained that the final amount of funding the UN will close this year in Jordan will only be known at the beginning of next year, as it takes time for all figures to be finalized.
Fewer Syrians returning from Jordan
The number of Syrian refugees returning from Jordan to Syria has declined, according to the spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Jordan, Youssef Taha.
Taha said that last August saw the return of 19,000 Syrian refugees from across the Kingdom, while 15,000 returned in September. By October, the number had fallen to 12,000 voluntary returnees, he told CNN Arabic on 23 November.
He linked this decline to several factors, including the start of the school year, the onset of winter, and the political and security situation in Syria.
“We notice that the number is declining in a somewhat regular way,” Taha said, adding that he believes the main reason is the start of the school term. At present, some do not wish to return because of winter and their children, in addition to well-known reasons such as lack of housing and job opportunities, and challenges related to basic infrastructure services, including electricity and water.
Since the fall of the former regime, around 160,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Jordan to Syria up to early October, according to Taha.
What is preventing their return?
A report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) showed that thousands of Syrian refugees living in Jordan are still unable to return to Syria due to legal, economic, and administrative barriers, despite the return of more than 152,000 refugees between 8 December 2024 and last September, out of more than 650,000 registered Syrian refugees.
The report stated that high living costs, shrinking humanitarian aid, and strict documentation policies in both Syria and Jordan make voluntary, safe, and dignified return a difficult option for many.
According to a survey conducted by the Council, initial optimism about return has faded. Forty percent of respondents said they hope to return someday, while only 21% expressed a clear intention to return, and 37% said they do not plan to return at all.
NRC’s Country Director in Jordan, Amy Schmidt, said refugees are facing “the most important decision in more than a decade, whether to return or not,” adding that many families lack sufficient information, cannot afford travel costs, or fear being turned back at the border.
The Council called on the Jordanian government to simplify procedures for registering births and marriages, regularize the status of undocumented families, and remove retroactive fees for work permits. It also urged authorities to allow camp residents to take the caravans they have been living in when they return.
It called on the Syrian government to remove legal obstacles to recovering property, reinstate the system of land and property powers of attorney, and open transparent pathways for regularizing status and obtaining missing documents.
The report noted that current policies fall short in five key areas that together create an unfavorable environment for return, ranging from a lack of reliable information to economic and administrative restrictions. While these challenges are overlapping and mutually reinforcing, the report said that coordination between governments and international actors could help turn voluntary return into a realistic option for a larger segment of Syrian refugees.
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