Attachments
Opened in 2014 to avoid overcrowding in Zaatari camp, Azraq currently hosts around 41,000 Syrian refugees. About 14.7 km2 in size, the camp has four operational villages. The village-based approach aims to foster a greater sense of ownership and community among residents. Some of the key facilities in Azraq camp include a hospital, health clinics, a solar power plant, schools, and community centres. The Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate (SRAD) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, co-coordinate the camp management.
Main Activities
Registration
UNHCR is committed to ensuring that all residents of the Azraq camp are documented and possess proof of their registration. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of the camp's population is essential for recognizing and addressing individuals' rights and needs. UNHCR oversees registration activities in both the Azraq camp and the Emirati Jordanian camp. Additionally, mobile missions are conducted to Azraq town to assist refugees residing there, providing various registration services, and issuing certificates to confirm their registration.
Protection
- UNHCR leads the Protection working group and co-chairs with partners like Institute for Family Health (IFH) and CARE the Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) sub-working groups in the camp. Through its daily presence in the camp and its leading role in coordination, UNHCR monitors and addresses protection-related concerns including but not limited to documentation, safety, legal assistance, child protection, GBV, and resettlement also ensuring adequate support for disabled people and other vulnerable groups.
- UNHCR ensures partners’ and government adherence to the international protection standards on case management through regular monitoring, capacity development, and advocacy with authorities on individual cases and other protection issues.
- UNHCR coordinates with the Civil Status Department of the Ministry of Interior and the Supreme Judge Department (Sharia courts) to facilitate the issuance of the essential civil status documents i.e. birth, death, divorce, and marriage certificates.
- UNHCR and UNICEF implement child protection prevention and response interventions for boys and girls who are survivors or are at risk of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation through specialised case management services.
- UNHCR and UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), oversee the Ma’An programme aimed at reducing violence in schools. This program enhances the MoE’s capacity to prevent and respond to cases of child protection and GBV within educational settings. The programme includes school-based activities designed for students and the broader community to address child protection issues and promote a safe school environment.