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Authors

Cilia J. Jurdy

Faculty Mentor

Nova Robinson, PhD

Faculty Editor

Serena Cosgrove, PhD

Student Editor

Wiley Martin

Abstract

The United States began giving aid to Jordan as a geopolitical strategy in 1951 to assists with Jordan’s absorption of Palestinian refugees after the creation of Israel in 1948. Since 1951, the United States has given nearly $15.833 billion in support. Foreign aid to Jordan began, and has been perpetuated, in order to keep the country economically stable. Jordan’s total population is 55–57% refugees. Most of these refugees require financial, health, and housing assistance, and they suffer from untreated mental health conditions. US foreign aid policy needs to have programming to treat the mental health trauma that refugees experience. Research needs to be done on the connection between this trauma and social, political, and economic problems that affect Jordan in relation to refugees. Implementing programs to treat mental illness through aid will allow US foreign aid in Jordan to be more effective in assisting the socio-economic growth of refugees and entire country as a whole.

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