Social Networks and Humanitarian Aid among Urban Syrian Refugees in Jordan

Strong social networks have been shown to correlate with improved economic outcomes and emotional wellbeing in urban refugee populations. In the Middle East and North Africa, social networks are based on a wide variety of relational identities that interconnect, suggesting an array of opportunities for community self-support. However, this research shows that Syrian refugees living in Irbid, Jordan, no longer actively turn to social networks for support. The financial and emotional strain of exile, and the failure of international aid agencies to support the maintenance of pre-existing social connections or the development of new ones, has led to the collapse of social networks among Syrian refugees in Jordan. Without the ability to forge new, strong ties in urban Jordan, Syrians also struggle to make bridging ties with the local and humanitarian communities. The result is social and spatial segregation, humanitarian programming which is poorly attuned to the needs of Syrians, and a reproduction of camp space and associated relations of power in the urban setting.