More than a case number: Restoring dignity and hope for the most vulnerable refugees in Jordan

“I have lost my whole family in the war in Iraq. Before IOM reached out to me, I had no one to go to and now I can finally sleep pain-free at night”, said Hana*, sharing her experience with IOM case management assistance.

Hana is one of close to 70,000 registered refugees from Iraq in Jordan, most of them suffering from serious medical conditions, disability and requiring other protection needs (UNHCR, 2019). She is a single woman in her fifties, who lost her family members either due to the war in Iraq or illness. For a while she was homeless, sleeping in a building stairwell in Mafraq.

Without shelter and protection, she was exposed to physical and sexual violence. At the beginning of 2022, she was attacked while asleep, but thanks to a swift reaction of the building residents, the attackers were chased away. Even though Hana managed to survive the attack she was left in distress and with severe injuries, which forced her to seek medical assistance.

Being a recipient of the IOM multipurpose cash assistance, Hana decided to reach out to IOM through the helpline, a service available for recipients of IOM assistance, and her case was immediately picked up by IOM case workers to find the best possible solution in a timely manner. Having survived gender-based violence (GBV), IOM case workers assisted Hana in getting comprehensive support from a specialized GBV local actor, including counseling and psychosocial support, accompanying her all the way. Hana was also eligible to receive cash assistance from IOM to pay for medical treatment of injuries resulting from the attack.

“We as community members, UN and NGOs staff, should consider the difficulties that refugees are facing and try to support them, not cause them more harm, to help them integrate and live in dignity in their host countries,” reminds Gadeer, IOM case worker.

Hana was offered to seek a better shelter for her, but in the meantime, she managed to arrange to stay with friends.

Over 200 refugees were assisted by IOM case workers since January 2022 through case management, facilitating access to essential services and provision of assistance to most vulnerable women, girls, men and boys. Types of assistance include internal and external referrals for specialized case management, physical accompaniment to access specific services, and informative sessions on assistance available to refugees. Eligibility for case management is restricted to persons already receiving IOM cash assistance.

* Names and locations have been changed in this article to ensure the safety and anonymity of the woman featured.