Cash transfer programming in urban response: the Jordanian example

Of the two million plus Syrians who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries since the start of the crisis, more than 520,000 are now living in Jordan,  approximately 65% of them in non-camp settings and urban areas. These families are unable to work legally in Jordan and are having to adjust to a different way of life.

Urban cash market economies can be unfamiliar to refugees moving from rural areas where cash may for some families be less often used to access essentials such as shelter, water and food. Others are finding that though they arrived with funds and assets, these are quickly being depleted with few options to replenish them. In addition, refugees are joining a Jordanian population which has its own vulnerabilities. Unable to work and outside of existing social networks, Syrian refugees are using coping strategies such as sending their children to work, selling food rations, sharing small living spaces, marrying early and engaging in transactional sex.