Understanding Social Cohesion and Resilience in Jordanian Host Communities

REACH has undertaken an assessment in Jordanian host communities with the aim to shed light on the challenges to social cohesion and resilience. The purpose of this assessment was to create a better understanding of the key dynamics that have emerged in Jordanian host communities as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis, and to support an evidence-based approach to prioritising interventions within and between communities.

First, a desk-review was commissioned to synthesise secondary data available and identify some of the broader areas of interest in identifying challenges to social cohesion and resilience. This was followed by a key informant assessment of 446 communities across the four northern governorates of Ajloon, Irbid, Jarash and Mafraq, as well as the two central governorates of Balqa and Zarqa. A comprehensive case selection exercise identified 160 communities for further in-depth assessments based on their stated levels of tension, security challenges in accessing basic services, and the overall access to services within the community. These community-level assessments entailed surveys and focus group discussions with Jordanians and Syrians. To complement the community-level assessments, governorate workshops were also held in the six governorates of Ajloon, Mafraq, Irbid, Jarash, Balqa and Zarqa. This report highlights the findings from these assessments.