Syrian refugees in Jordan are prevented from accessing health and other services critical to their wellbeing, Amnesty International said in a report released on Wednesday.
"The combination of grossly inadequate support from the international community and barriers imposed by the government of Jordan are leaving Syrian refugees unable to access health care and other vital services," the report found.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that at least 58.3 percent of Syrian adults with chronic health conditions are unable to access health care services.
Amnesty International explained that lengthy bureaucratic procedures and medical fees imposed by the Jordanian government are some of the obstacles placed to access health services.
The UNHCR and humanitarian agencies provide food and medical services for refugees living inside Jordan’s three refugee camps, but the vast majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan reside in urban areas and live in poverty.
"The user fees imposed by Jordan may not appear to be high but are unaffordable for most refugees who are struggling to feed their families, and leave many unable to access the critical care they need," Amnesty International Refugee and Migrants’ Rights head Sherif Elsayed-Al stated.
Since 2012, Jordan has restricted the number of Syrian refugees it admits. The government says there is an exception for refugees with war-sustained injuries.
However, Amnesty International - and humanitarian workers - says they have evidence of injured refugees, including children, being denied entry into Jordan for medical care.
The international community has so far fulfilled only 27 percent of the funding pledged to assist Jordan in caring for refugees, Amnesty International noted. As of March 16, the UNHCR estimated there are more than 636,000 Syrian refugees in the Hashemite Kingdom.
Amnesty International’s report comes ahead of a UNHCR meeting on March 30 in which world leaders are expected to pledge to resettle more of the 4.8 million refugees from Syria who are currently in Jordan and four other primary host countries, Sputnik reported.
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