Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - CARE International on Tuesday released its annual report about the condition of Syrian refugees outside refugee camps and how host communities are coping.

The report, titled Five Years into Exile, points out that refugees continue to face severe challenges due to protracted displacement, reduced levels of assistance and access to services, continued lack of access to sustainable livelihoods and complicated registration procedures, citing these as factors that deepen the plight of about 630,000 refugees registered in Jordan.

"When the findings of the 2015 study are compared with previous assessments, it becomes clear that the situation is deteriorating, with more families reporting unmet food needs than in previous years; one in three families have not been able to access medical services when they needed them and one-third of school age children remain out of school, despite improvements in education access," it said.

It also found out that 10 per cent of families are dependent on child labour for their income, and that women and girls face increased risk of gender-based violence, including early marriage.

"We are witnessing increasing evidence that after five years of conflict, a growing number of Syrian refugees exhausted their livelihoods, and that at least two in three families are in need. We fear that without increased international aid, the cycle of deepening poverty will accelerate with a permanent impact on each one of the refugees and host communities," commented Country Director at CARE International in Jordan, Salam Kanaan.

The report demanded the setting up of a shopping centre at the Azraq Refugee Camp that generates income for refugees, improves the quality of their life and provides the products and services they need.

The report is based on data collected from January 27 to March 1, 2015 in interviews with 1,300 families and focus group discussions and individual interviews with Syrian and Jordanian women, men, and male and female youth, and other stakeholders.

CARE International provides life-saving services for Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey and Yemen as well as over 850,000 people affected by the crisis in Syria.