Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Hundreds of thousands of Syrians forced into exile in Jordan are facing a fresh humanitarian crisis as they struggle to get by living outside the country's refugee camps.

Almost four in five Syrian refugees in Jordan live outside the formal camps, but only get a fraction of the international attention given to Za'atari camp in northern Jordan.

More than 90 per cent of refugees in Jordan sheltering in urban areas live in rented accommodation. The prices for Syrians have risen as much as 25 per cent in some locations since 2012.

Ramtha is now home to roughly 80 thousand Syrian refugees. Two camps in the area host less than 1,200.

Majda and her children live in a converted storehouse and pay for more than 280 US dollars a month. She works as a housekeeper or harvesting olives to make ends meet.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic), Majda Ibrahim Hamid, Syrian refugee:

"We manage with the (WFP food) vouchers we take. We pay the landlord a portion of the rent with the food that we take from the vouchers and we use the other portion to feed our children."

Rent now accounts for almost two thirds of refugee expenditure, and has emerged as a primary concern for their well-being. Half of Syria's refugees feel they live in inadequate dwellings, including badly ventilated apartments that suffer from damp or mold.

*Cihan News Agency