Iraqi Refugee Women and Youth in Jordan: Reproductive Health Findings

The war in Iraq has created the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world. As of August 2007, more than 4 million Iraqis had fled their homes and sought refuge in other parts of the country or neighboring countries, particularly Jordan and Syria. In any refugee crisis, the vast majority of the displaced are women and children; they are also the most vulnerable. The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children saw firsthand the terrible difficulties that displaced Iraqi women and children face on a recent mission to Jordan. Current estimates indicate that up to 750,000 Iraqis have fled to Jordan,1 a country of approximately 6 million people. Many are women who have come to Jordan with only their children—their husbands were either killed in the war or remain in Iraq. Iraqis who have fled to Jordan are not recognized as refugees by the Jordanian government2 and, therefore, most are living in the country illegally and can be deported at any time. The refugees the Women’s Commission met feel desperate and abandoned. Iraqis cannot lawfully work in Jordan and have few sources of sustainable income. This puts women and girls at particular risk of sexual exploitation and abuse; they may be forced into prostitution and sex work as they struggle to support their families. Most refugees cannot afford to send their children to school or pay for even basic health care. Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer are going untreated. Refugees also reported that domestic violence is a problem, as the pressures of having no ways to work legally and no way to provide for one’s family take their toll. Many refugees are also traumatized by the violence they suffered personally or saw around them in Iraq, yet they have little access to mental health and psychosocial services. Rape survivors have limited access to care even though these refugees have fled a conflict where rape is prevalent

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Contributor: Victor K. Mugarura
Published Date: March 19, 2008