UNICEF Praises Jordan’s Progress for Children as Funding Cuts Threaten Vital Services

UNICEF is calling on donors to provide flexible, multi-year funding that strengthens Jordan’s own systems and gives programmes dependable support over time.

Jordan's progress in getting children into school and strengthening their rights needs sustained international support as declining funding puts essential services under pressure, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said at the close of a two-day visit to the country. Her visit highlighted the work supporting children's education, safety and development, alongside the difficulties facing families affected by poverty, unemployment and displacement, whose access to dependable services remains central to making that progress last.

School attendance needs to lead to learning and jobs

Almost every child in Jordan now attends primary school, an achievement Russell praised as she reaffirmed UNICEF's support for government efforts to turn school enrolment into quality learning and future employment. The challenge extends beyond securing a place in a classroom, with around 39 per cent of young people out of work and a pressing need to connect education with opportunities that help them build independent lives. Jordan's Child Rights Law of 2022 provides another important foundation by setting out children's rights in national law.

Russell met Minister of Education and Human Resources Development Dr. Azmi Mahafzah and Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa to discuss children's needs and the work required to address them. She recognized Jordan's strong national strategies covering social protection, child protection and support for young people, reaffirming UNICEF's commitment to helping the Government translate those commitments into lasting improvements that reach every child, including those who face the greatest barriers to services.

Poverty and violence shape too many childhoods

Around one in seven children in Jordan live in multidimensional poverty, experiencing hardship that includes unreliable access to essential services such as health care and education. Nearly three in four children aged 1 to 14 experience violent discipline at home, figures that underline the need for protection and family support alongside education. Russell stressed that social protection should help families reach vital services, with particular attention to children with disabilities and the support they need to participate fully in everyday life.

At a Jordan River Foundation community centre, Russell spent time with children receiving support through the Foundation's partnership with UNICEF, which provides vulnerable children with learning opportunities, protection and other assistance. The visit brought her into direct contact with children served by this work, giving a practical setting to discussions about how national policies reach families through community services and how continued support can help children learn and feel safe.

Refugee support and reliable funding remain essential

Jordan's generosity toward people displaced by the Syrian conflict remains an important part of its work for children, with the country hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees at the height of the conflict. Thousands have returned to Syria, but many remain in Jordan and continue to need international support. Their needs form part of the wider pressure on services for vulnerable children, making continued assistance important for refugee families and the communities that host them.

A declining funding environment is affecting the ability to deliver essential services to Jordan's most vulnerable children, putting pressure on efforts to sustain the country's achievements. UNICEF is calling on donors to provide flexible, multi-year funding that strengthens Jordan's own systems and gives programmes dependable support over time. Russell's message connected recognition of the country's progress with the need to keep investing in the services that turn legal rights and national strategies into meaningful improvements in children's lives.