Jul, 2026
With MAP Jordan, we’re expanding access to mental health services for Palestinian refugees in Jordan
A mother isolates herself in silence because every sound feels like pain. Another rebuilds her life after years of emotional hardship, learning that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. A father discovers that caring for his own mental health allows him to become the parent his son needs.
These stories are different, but they share one reality: without access to specialized care, each of these individuals would have continued to struggle alone.
In Jerash Camp (also known as Gaza Camp), located in Jerash, Jordan, Palestinian refugees face significant barriers to neurological and mental health services. As a result, Anera’s support for Jordan Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP Jordan) helps close that gap by bringing specialized neurological care and mental health support directly to the community.
Since the project began in January 2025, 458 people have received specialized neurological care, and 562 children, adolescents, and adults have accessed mental health and psychosocial support services. Behind every number is someone reclaiming their health, rebuilding relationships and rediscovering hope.
"I learned that caring for my mental health helps me care for my child"
When the Right Diagnosis Changes Everything
For nearly nine months, Maya* relied on painkillers that never addressed the real problem. Noise, bright lights, and daily responsibilities became overwhelming as migraine attacks disrupted her life.
After visiting the neurological clinic supported by Anera, she finally received a proper diagnosis, preventive medication, and treatment to manage her condition. Today, her migraines are under control, allowing her to return to her family and daily routine with renewed confidence.
"I thought it was just a headache," she says. "Now I know it was something that needed proper treatment."
"Mental health care helped me find myself again"
Finding Strength to Begin Again
After a painful divorce, Nour, struggled with anxiety, self-doubt and the weight of rebuilding her life. Although she remarried, the emotional burden remained.
Through regular counseling sessions provided by the project, she learned practical coping skills, rebuilt her confidence, and discovered healthier ways to manage stress.
Today, she communicates more openly, sets healthy boundaries and approaches motherhood with greater patience and resilience.
"Mental health care helped me find myself again," she says. "Taking care of my mind is no different from taking care of my body."
Building Stronger Families
For Omar, becoming a better father began with taking care of his own mental well-being. Years after surviving a traumatic car accident, he was still living with the emotional scars. Flashbacks would surface without warning, affecting his outlook on life and making it difficult to be fully present for himself and his family.
Before attending counseling sessions, stress often left him emotionally distant from his young son. Through the support offered by the project, he developed new parenting skills and learned how to manage pressure in healthier ways.
Now he spends meaningful time with his son, listens more, reacts with patience, and feels more connected to his family than ever before. He says, “I learned that caring for my mental health helps me care for my child."
"Taking care of my mind is no different from taking care of my body."
Access to specialized neurological and mental health care can change the course of a person's life, but only if those services are available.
Through its partnership with MAP Jordan, Anera is helping close longstanding gaps in healthcare in Jerash Camp by bringing specialized neurological care and mental health support closer to Palestinian refugee families. Every diagnosis, counseling session, and follow-up appointment is helping people regain not only their health, but also their confidence, relationships, and hope for the future.
Aysha, with MAP Jordan, leads psychosocial support activities for the children.
Hadeel, from Anera, speaks with a pharmacist at MAP Jordan who dispenses medications to patients, including those who have benefited from neurological and mental health referral services.
A nurse at the health center conducts an electromyography exam on a patient. This diagnostic test measures the electrical activity of muscles and the nerves controlling them to detect neuromuscular diseases.
Children participating in psychosocial support activities at the MAP Jordan center in Jerash Camp, Jordan.
A child participating in psychosocial support activities at the MAP Jordan center in Jerash Camp, Jordan.
MAP Jordan has two connected buildings. The clinics and medical services building is called the Gaza Camp Health Center – Jerash. The other building where psychosocial support sessions take place is called the Community Center.
