Palestinian Refugees In Jordan Research Articles

Displacing Territory: Syrian and Palestinian Refugees in Jordan

Displacing Territory: Syrian and Palestinian Refugees in Jordan

Examining socio-ecological factors contributing to the promotion and protection of education for unaccompanied and separated children in Jordan

ObjectivesLimited research exists on the underlying processes through which socio-ecological factors contribute to the educational resilience of UASCs. This can be attributed to a lack of quantitative reporting on the educational outcomes of UASCs. The study examined the relationship between UASC status and educational achievement among Palestinian refugees in Jordan using the PISA 2009 dataset. It identified socio-ecological factors at the student-level, teacher-level, and school-level that are associated with the promotion and protection of education for this vulnerable group. Methods and AnalysisThe sample comprised 410 Palestinian refugee students in Jordan, of which 91 were identified as UASCs. Correlational analysis examined the relationship between UASC status and educational achievement. Hierarchical regression analysis then identified socio-ecological factors impacting educational achievement after controlling for student, teacher, and school variables. Main effects and interaction effects in the regression models revealed key promotive and protective processes. FindingsFindings showed that UASC status negatively correlated with achievement across all subjects. However, female gender, higher educational, social, and cultural status, positive class disciplinary climate, positive teacher-student relations, and higher school use of ability grouping provided promotive effects on achievement for UASCs. Higher teacher use of structuring and scaffolding strategies provided a protective-enhancing effect on reading achievement for UASCs. Higher school use of ability grouping provided a protective-stabilizing effect on both reading achievement and scientific achievement for UASCs. In contrast, high school academic selectivity provided a vulnerable-reactive effect on scientific achievement for UASCs. Novelty and ImprovementThe study highlights the importance of adopting a socio-ecological and socio-interactional framework with robust quantitative approaches to gain in-depth understanding of UASCs' educational resilience. The identification of microsystemic and mesosystemic factors (those at teacher-level and school-level) as critical promotive and protective assets provides vital insights to inform research, policy, and practice aimed at supporting UASCs' ability to thrive academically despite risks associated with being UASC.

Creating space for teacher voice: insights on professional development in two diverse settings

ABSTRACT This paper explores how child-centred practices introduced through international agencies into classrooms in post-conflict Cambodia and for Palestinian Refugees in Jordan, were perceived by the teachers tasked with implementing them. Using a case study methodology, data for both studies were drawn primarily from interviews with teachers in Cambodian primary schools and UNWRA schools, Jordan. Findings suggest that the pedagogical practices promoted are absent of contextual issues, including school/classroom environments and cultural understandings of teaching and learning. Our contention is that for teacher education programmes and policies to have their desired effect a central role for teachers must be prioritised.

The Palestinian refugees, Christian humanitarianism, and the remaking of the Melkite church in Jordan

ABSTRACT The arrival of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Jordan after 1948 and 1967 represented a major challenge for the young state, international institutions and humanitarian organizations, both faith-based or secular. In this context, the Melkite Church developed its assistance activities, particularly health and vocational education, to respond to this humanitarian crisis and the needs of the refugees. By questioning the humanitarian strategy implemented by the Church through its representative Mgr. Assaf, this article will revisit the modalities of deployment of a Melkite humanitarianism in Jordan. The latter was based on the redefinition of the Church’s modes of action and its expansion into new cities on a national scale. In order to do so, the Church began major structural changes, especially in its personnel: feminization, laicization and internationalization. How does the case of Melkite humanitarianism allow us to understand a large-scale response to the humanitarian crisis in Jordan, especially in urban space outside the camps? How does the case of Melkite humanitarianism contribute to a deeper understanding of the structural changes in the in the recent history of the churches in the Middle East?

First-Generation Palestinian Refugees in Jordan: Experiences of Occupational Disruption From an Occupational Justice Perspective.

Only a limited amount of research has investigated the impact of prolonged refugee status of Palestinian refugees who have been displaced for more than 70 yr. To explore lived experiences of Palestinian refugees in Jordan and understand their occupational disruption. Thematic analysis guided by descriptive phenomenology with one-on-one and group interviews. An AlBaqa'a community-based rehabilitation center or participants' homes. First-generation Palestinian refugees who fled Palestine and live in Jordan. Fifteen Palestinians, mainly widowed women in their 70s, participated in this study. Ten completed interviews, and five participated in two group interviews. Four themes emerged: (1) Palestinian pride, (2) trauma leaving one's home country, (3) challenges of living in a host country, and (4) internalized prejudice. After 70 yr, prolonged refugeeism has led to occupational disruption and negative implications for occupational justice, especially in the absence of social justice. The area most negatively affected was social participation; however, participants still had a great sense of pride about their homeland and their heritage. What This Article Adds: This foundational research explores the occupational injustices of the protracted refugee status of first-generation Palestinians in Jordan and identifies meaningful interventions to promote the alleviation of occupational disruption.

A Crisis Within a Crisis: Working and Living Conditions of Syrian and Palestinian Refugees during the COVID-19 in Jordan

The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into one of the most impactful crises of modern time, and most countries have implemented preventive measures such as nationwide lockdowns, closing certain businesses, and quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus. This study explores how the COVID-19 crisis and its preventive measures impact refugees’ welfare in the context of a developing country. The research is based on forty semi-structured interviews with Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Jordan. Research findings indicate that refugees are primarily employed in low-skilled jobs because of legal restrictions, which do not provide decent working conditions and socioeconomic security. Refugees are also mostly housed in high-density settlements with limited access to healthcare, sanitation, hygiene, and water (WASH) facilities. The research findings show that refugees are particularly at risk during the global health crisis due to precarious working and living conditions. This study concludes by providing recommendations on how to respond to future pandemic crises within refugee contexts based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Religious coping, resilience, and involuntary displacement: A mixed-methods analysis of the experience of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Jordan.

Religious coping, resilience, and involuntary displacement: A mixed-methods analysis of the experience of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Jordan.

Adherence to UNRWA's anaemia treatment guidelines in the Jerash Camp Health Centre, Jordan: a retrospective observational study.

ObjectiveThe United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides primary healthcare to 2.2 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan. This study aimed to measure patient and doctor adherence to the UNRWA guidelines for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in moderate to severe anaemia children, defined as haemoglobin (Hb) level <10.0 g/L.Design, setting and participantsA retrospective observational study was conducted by analysing the electronic health records of 717 children (353 boys and 364 girls) children aged 12 months old in 2018 in the Jerash Camp Health Centre, Jordan.OutcomePatient adherence to the UNRWA guidelines was calculated by the proportion of health centre visits and doctor adherence by the proportions of Hb tests and iron supplementation among moderate to severe anaemia children at screening, first, second and third follow-up visits, respectively using STATA.ResultsThe prevalence of moderate to severe anaemia was 15.6% among 12-month-old children. After 1 month of iron supplementation, 83.7% of anaemic children improved their Hb status: meanSD from 9.10.6 g/L to 10.11.0 g/L. Patient and doctor adherence to the UNRWA guidelines was above 80% at the screening visit but progressively decreased at follow-up visits, especially patient adherence at the third follow-up visit of 34.4%. The analysis revealed unnecessary health centre visits and iron supplementation being given to mildly anaemic children (Hb level=10.0 g/L–10.9 g/L). Additionally, children visited the health centre at an age significantly later compared with that recommended by the UNRWA guidelines for the screening, first and second follow-up visits (p-value<0.05).ConclusionAdherence to the UNRWA guidelines was above 80% at screening but much lower at follow-up visits. Urgent action is needed to improve adherence at follow-up visits and to minimise any unnecessary health centre visits and iron supplementation to mildly anaemic children.

An exploration of politicized healthcare access for Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Jordan: a question of equity

PurposeRefugees commonly face inequitable access to health care services in their host country. This study aimed to identify factors influence refugee access to health services and to assess perceptions of barriers to health care for different refugee groups in Jordan.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were combined with document analysis and analyzed using thematic and framework methods.FindingsFindings highlighted inequitable access to health services between different refugee groups. Unlike Palestinian refugees from the West Bank, Palestinian refugees from Gaza faced financial barriers to access health care as a result of citizenship status, which affected their health insurance, referrals for health care and legal right to work. Syrian refugees similarly lacked Jordanian citizenship and health insurance and mainly depended on UNHCR for health services, though some were able to acquire work permits and pay for private care.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates a need for politically and economically appropriate policies to minimize the disparity of health care access among these refugee groups.

The prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy among diabetic Palestinian refugees in the Nuzha area, Jordan: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDiabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy. It accounts for significant morbidity, including lower extremity amputations. There are few studies on the prevalence of DPN among Palestinian refugees in Jordan. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of DPN and its associated factors among Palestinian refugees with diabetes in the Nuzha area of Jordan, using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the UNRWA Nuzha Health Centre, Amman, Jordan, during the first quarter of 2016 (Jan 2–Mar 31, 2016). The Nuzha Health Centre was randomly chosen from the UNRWA clinics in Jordan. Study participants were selected by systematic random sampling. The number of participants was decided with Cochran's formula and adjusting the sample size by use of the finite population correction equation. 343 patients with diabetes were assessed for DPN using the history and physical assessment sections of the MNSI. We generated descriptive statistics, and tested for associations between variables using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify the best subset of predictors for the presence of DPN. We used SPSS version 22 to input and analyse data. This study was approved by the UNRWA Jordan Field Office and the Institutional Review Board at the University of Jordan, and by the Michigan Diabetes Research Centre, which gave its permission to use the MNSI. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. FindingsPrevalence of DPN was 11% (37 of 343) based on the history section and 36% (122 of 343) based on the physical assessment section of the MNSI. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that significant predictors for DPN based on the history section of the MNSI were education level and duration of diabetes. Compared with participants with no education, the odds ratio (OR) for DPN was 0·13 (95% CI 0·04–0·49, p=0·0023) for participants with elementary education, 0·11 (0·03–0·49, p=0·0035) for those with high school education, and 0·04 (0·01–0·41, p=0·0070) for those with a diploma. Compared with participants who had diabetes for less than 10 years, the OR for DPN was 7·69 (1·99–30·30, p=0·0031) for those who had diabetes for 10–19 years and 32·26 (6·76–142·86, p<0·0001) for those who had diabetes for 20 years or longer. However, the predictors for DPN based on the physical assessment part of MNSI were age, duration of diabetes, and type of treatment for diabetes. Compared with participants aged 70 years or older, the OR for DPN was 0·18 (0·04–0·89, p=0·036) for those aged 40–49 years and 0·22 (0·06–0·82, p=0·024) for those aged 50–59 years. Compared with participants who had diabetes for less than 10 years, the OR for DPN was 32·26 (13·70–76·92, p<0·0001) for those who had diabetes for 10–19 years and 200 (34·48–1000, p<0·0001) for those who had diabetes for 20 years or longer. The OR for DPN was 0·23 (0·08–0·70, p=0·0094) for participants who were treated with oral hypoglycemic agents alone, compared those who were treated with insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents. InterpretationThe prevalence of DPN is high among Palestinian refugees with diabetes in the Nuzha area, Jordan, consistent with the results of other studies of DPN in individuals with diabetes. There is a need for early detection and regular screening for DPN in patients with diabetes, with special attention given to patients with risk factors for DPN. FundingNone.

UNRWA's role in promoting health outcomes of Palestinian refugees in Jordan: A systematic literature review.

The mandate of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) includes education and health services of registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan and other countries. UNRWA is facing limited funding because of unstable political circumstances. This review aims to spotlight the importance of UNRWA's role in promoting Palestinian refugees' health inside and outside camps in Jordan. This systematic review was conducted through iteratively searching electronic research databases for original, recent, full-text literature regarding the health and social outcomes of Palestinian refugees in Jordan. The 12 reviewed studies showed that UNRWA's programs through its clinics and schools have a crucial role in improving Palestinian refugees' health outcomes such as adolescents' cigarette smoking prevalence, infant mortality, non-communicable disease management, health-related quality of life, mental/psychological health services, and reproductive health. Access to UNRWA's health services may account for better or comparable health outcomes among Palestinian refugees. Despite the short funding and political pressures, UNRWA has provided aid and services to Palestinian refugees inside and outside refugee camps in Jordan. UNRWA's role is crucial in maintaining decent health outcomes in this vulnerable, underserved population. The further limiting of UNRWA funding may jeopardize the health of millions.

Dissemination and implementation of the e-MCHHandbook, UNRWA’s newly released maternal and child health mobile application: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesIn April 2017, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) released the electronic Maternal andChildHealth Handbook, the e-MCH Handbook application. One of...

Model to improve cardiometabolic risk factors in Palestine refugees with diabetes mellitus attending UNRWA health centers

IntroductionThe United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the main primary healthcare provider and provides assistance and protection to around 5 million...

Pilot study to build capacity for family medicine with abbreviated, low-cost training programme with minimal impact on patient care for a cohort of 84 general practitioners caring for Palestinian refugees in Jordan.

PurposeStudies document that primary care improves health outcomes and controls costs. In regions of the world where primary care is underdeveloped, building capacity is essential. Most capacity building programmes are expensive and take physicians away from their clinical settings. We describe a programme created, delivered and evaluated from 2013 to 2014 in Jordan.DesignCohort study.SettingPhysicians providing primary care in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees clinics in Jordan.ParticipantsEighty-four general practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate and completed the training and evaluation. GPs are physicians who have a license to practice medicine after completing medical school and a 1 year hospital-based rotating internship. Although GPs provide care in the ambulatory setting, their hospital-based education provides little preparation for delivering ambulatory primary care.Intervention/ProgrammeThis three-stage programme included needs assessment, didactics and on-the-job coaching. First, the learning needs and baseline knowledge of the trainees were assessed and the findings guided curriculum development. During the second stage, 48 hours of didactics covered topics such as communications skills and disease management. The third stage was delivered one on one in the trainee’s clinical setting for a 4 to 6-hour block. The first, middle and final patient interactions were evaluated.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPreknowledge and postknowledge assessments were compared. The clinical checklist, developed for the programme, assessed eight domains of clinical skills such as communication and history taking on a five-point Likert scale during the patient interaction.ResultsPreknowledge and postknowledge assessments demonstrated significantly improved scores, 46% to 81% (p<0.0001). Trainee’s clinical checklist scores improved over the assessment intervals. Satisfaction with the training was high.ConclusionThis programme is a potential model for building primary care capacity at low cost and with little impact on patient care that addresses both knowledge and clinical skills on the job.

Oral transmission as meta-occupation: The significance of historically passed on meanings of everyday life in processes of deculturalization

ABSTRACTThis article presents research findings from an urban sociology study of the practice of Palestinian oral transmission in the face of deculturalization. The concept of deculturalization (Spring, 2004) is adopted to enable the analysis of intertwined processes of marginalization and deprivation in their spatiotemporal extension and their impact on the communities concerned. Using the Reflexive Grounded Theory Methodology (RGTM), the research explored how Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Palestine, and Israel conceptualize and practise oral transmission and how their practice mirrors the deculturative condition they experience. Participatory observation and guided interviews were conducted with 13 families, each with three generations, and a number of activists and scientists. Combining the RGTM with elements adopted from Systematic Metaphor Analysis enabled the discovery of inversion as Modus Operandi of oral transmission and as a strategy of dealing with deculturalization. It revealed oral transmission as meta-occupation that facilitates other occupations, operates as a means of knowledge and space production, constitutes belonging, and unifies a scattered community across time and space. Thus, oral transmission has the potential to defy occupational injustice (Stadnyk, Townsend, & Wilcock, 2010) and to undermine and partly undo the impact of deculturalization. This article provides significant insights into the occupation of oral transmission among Palestinians and its function within processes of deculturalization, and potentially amplifies occupational science understandings of these processes in relation to occupation. Categorizing oral transmission as meta-occupation adds to occupational science terminology and may constitute an appropriate category to connect with other disciplines, promoting occupational perspectives.

Sociocultural factors in access to contraception by Palestine refugees in Jordan: a qualitative study

BackgroundMaternal mortality rates in Palestine refugees in Jordan increased by 16% between 2013 and 2016. Action is needed to prevent future maternal deaths. Risk factors for maternal mortality are a young mother (below 20 years of age) and pregnancies that are close together (interval of less than 18 months), which can be prevented through the use of contraception. Contraceptive discontinuation rates increased among Palestine refugees in Jordan by 3% between 2015 and 2016. Sociocultural factors are important in access to contraception. This study assesses sociocultural barriers and opportunities to accessing contraception among Palestine refugees in Jordan. MethodsFocus group discussions were conducted in June, 2017, with female and male patients and health-care workers in rural and urban communities in Jordan. Patients were selected using opportunistic sampling at health centres; health centres and health-care workers were selected using purposive sampling. Only participants who signed the informed consent form were included. Discussions were moderated by a local researcher, tape-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed with MaxQDA. Analysis was conducted by two researchers independently using predetermined and emergent themes. Approval was obtained from the UNRWA Ethics Office. Findings12 discussions were conducted with 84 participants, seven participants per discussion; 40 females, 27 males, and 17 health workers with an age range of 18–67 years. Perceived barriers to accessing or using contraception included husband or family-in-law opposition to contraception use; preferences in terms of the sex of children; pride in having many children; fear of infertility; incorrect use of contraception; a lack of health-care workers to provide contraception; reluctance of staff to provide contraception to females without spousal consent; and costs involved in using contraception. Perceived benefits included the financial advantage of a smaller family; and birth spacing for women's mental and physical health. InterpretationDespite the use of opportunistic sampling, this study shows that both sociocultural barriers and benefits to accessing contraception exist for Palestine refugees in Jordan. More resources are needed to improve access by further researching sociocultural dynamics related to contraception use. FundingShare-Net International, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), the Netherlands.

Hospitalisation coverage by UNRWA in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank: a comparative snapshot analysis

BackgroundThe United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) supports the hospitalisation of Palestine refugees with country-specific policies in five fields of operation; Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank. The objective of this study was to compare caseloads and percentage vulnerability generated by the different policies. MethodsA comparative snapshot analysis was conducted on diagnoses for hospitalized patients (13 818 patients in total) for selected months in 2016 and 2017, categorized according to UNRWA-defined criteria (lifesaving, urgent, or non-urgent surgeries, and vaginal delivery or caesarian section). The vulnerability criterion was the Social Safety Net Program (SSNP) status of Palestine refugees (enrolment in the UNRWA SSNP). Data were processed in Excel. Ethical approval was granted from the UNRWA Department of Health. FindingsIn Jordan, 85% of support (1905 of 2242 cases) was provided for deliveries (vaginal delivery or caesarian section). In Lebanon, 66% (2662 of 4064) were lifesaving and urgent interventions, 26% (1051) non-urgent surgeries, and 7% (284) deliveries. In Syria, 40% (637 of 1594) were urgent, 38% (605) non-urgent surgeries, and 19% (303) deliveries. In Gaza, 26% (675 of 2657) were urgent, 35% (924) non-urgent surgeries, and 40% (1058) deliveries. In the West Bank, 43% (1412 of 3261) were urgent, 10% (333) non-urgent surgeries, and 42% (1367) deliveries. The percentage of vulnerable cases reflects the safety net role of UNRWA: 16% (351) in Jordan, 20% (817) in Lebanon, 46% (738) in Syria, and 19% (506) in Gaza. In the West Bank, only 3% (106) of patients were vulnerable. InterpretationThe profile of patients that used the UNRWA hospitalisation support programme is consistent with hospitalisation policies in UNRWA's fields of operation and the different access that Palestine refugees have to local health services. There is reasonable health-care provision for Palestine refugees in Jordan, whereas UNRWA is the only health-care provider for most Palestine refugees in Lebanon. Ongoing conflict limits access to health care in Syria. Mixed caseloads reflect that priority is given to surgeries and deliveries in Gaza and that UNRWA is the alternative to Ministry of Health services in the West Bank, as the mixed UNRWA caseloads in the West Bank match those of government-supported hospitalisation services, suggesting that people use either one or another. In the case of Gaza, UNRWA-supported hospitals focus on those services most requested by potential users, non-urgent surgeries and deliveries, which become complementary to government services. UNRWA should improve its data collection to have more accurate and up-to-date data. More analysis is needed to understand the financial implications of the differences in policies and how to perform strategic interventions. FundingNone.

Antenatal care among Palestine refugees in Jordan: factors associated with UNRWA attendance.

Maternal and neonatal mortality is a global issue acknowledged by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adequate ante-natal care (ANC) is pivotal to reducing these mortality rates, while understanding why women don't attend ANC is crucial to addressing the SDGs. Using routine primary health care data to determine the factors associated with inadequate attendance by Palestine refugees (PR) to ANC seeking facilities provided by the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Jordan. A backwards logistic regression model incorporating non-health system factors and health system factors, was performed using UNRWA data. A younger age of women was associated with inadequate ANC visits (P = 0.0009) in the non-health systems model. For health system factors, pregnancy risk status, having a gynaecologist review and the health centre attended were factors found to be significantly associated with ANC attendance (P < 0.0001). Understanding the health system factors associated with ANC attendance can lead to changes and improvements in UNRWA's operational policies.

Health and dignity of Palestine refugees at stake: a need for international response to sustain crucial life services at UNRWA

The UN Sustainable Development Goals affirm equality and dignity as essential to the enjoyment of basic human rights, including the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, which promotes global solidarity among all people, including refugees. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has provided support to Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank since the 1950s. Today, however, conflict and violence, occupation, high levels of poverty, and other social determinants of health jeopardize the wellbeing of Palestine refugees. Health concerns include non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions, and access to hospital care. Additionally, UNRWA is continuing to face a severe funding crisis. Using a historical and health policy perspective, this Health Policy examines UNRWA strategies that facilitate continuous provision of health-care services for Palestine refugees. Given the increasingly volatile environment faced by this population, a multifaceted international response is needed to enable UNRWA to deliver sustainable services to Palestine refugees and avert further loss of life, dignity, and hope, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight in accordance with applicable international law and UN General Assembly resolutions.

Materializing the nation in everyday life: on symbols and objects in the Palestinian refugee diaspora

This article considers the nationalizing practices of everyday life among Palestinian refugees in Jordan. Concerned with what some scholars call banal or everyday nationhood, it examines how particular objects within the ordinary lives of Palestinian refugees articulate conceptions of national belonging and difference. Attending to the discursive and the material, this article argues that understanding Palestinian national practice among refugees in Jordan requires specific attention to the material objects consumed and displayed within the homes and institutions of Palestinian life. As icons productive of a national sensorium, these objects are critical for understanding the constitution of nationhood and what I call a national visualscape. Embedded within the routine spaces of ordinary life, this paper argues that national practice is often visible yet unseen, articulated yet unheard. Palestinian nationhood in Jordan is thus an ordinary affair; it is the practical accomplishment of ordinary people engaged in the production of nationhood without a nationalist movement.