Ten kilometers to the east of Mafraq, a city north of the Jordanian capital, is the largest permanent refugee settlement: Zaatari. Home to 79,133 refugees, as of August 2016, the camps were established in 2012 for the Syrians fleeing the current Syrian civil war. But Zaatari s far from the only refugee camp in Jordan, with 608,000 additional Syrians seeking refuge in the country. For several years Jordan has been to refugees in the Middle East. In 1948, during the Arab-Israeli War, 1967 Six Day War, and the 1990 Gulf, Jordan have faced large waves of Palestinian refugees coming to reside. Today, most of the 2,117,361 Palestinian refugees are Jordanian citizens, with 370,000 living in refugee camps. Furthermore, Iraqis and Lebanese refugees have also fled to Jordan to seek shelter in their camps.
But Jordan’s economy is suffering as a result. Only eight months into 2016, the Jordanian debt has climbed to $35.1 billion. This high debt has been traced to the regional instability, hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian Refugees, which requires an increase in military spending. But more importantly, the Syrian Refugees flooding into Jordan has decreased tourist activity and foreign investments. Jordan’s economy is suffering. Syrian Refugees alone cost $2.5 billion each year (6% of the GDP), according to the World Bank. Jordan does receive foreign aid for the refugees, however, this aid only covers 37% of the costs, leaving the countries to cover the rest. Not to mention that the $2.5 billion still results in the camps having low living conditions, such as no electricity and little space.
Jordan’s economic crisis, however, could be solved with the implementation of self-sufficient refugee camps. Self-Sufficient refugee camps allow refugees to build lives and create camps that are more independent from charity aid. It gives refugees a chance at a second life. Within in self-sufficient refugee camps, refugees will operate like a small city, perhaps implementing an agricultural society and creating jobs. Although there have been cases of failed self-sufficient refugee camps, it is too early to rule out this method. With the right amount of the funding, assistance (within the host nation and NGOs), and patience, self-sufficient refugee camps have the potential to help alleviate the stresses of refugee settlement and elevate the refugee experience.
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