Jordan's political economic and infrastructure operational variables are key factors that cause instability Jordan is exceedingly dependent on aid and loans from wealthy neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf and traditional allies in the West The massive influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan due to the civil war that erupted in Syria has placed enormous strain on the country This strain comes in the form of Jordan s already severely depleted natural resources high unemployment levels and infrastructure as a whole Finally Jordanian citizens grow increasingly frustrated and discouraged with their government s empty promises and inability to push forward economic reform The widespread habitation of Syrian refugees in Jordan is the greatest driver of instability Jordan has a population of roughly nine million people The country is now home to roughly 1 3 million Syrian refugees comprising roughly fifteen percent of the total population Only half of these refugees are registered with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR The majority of these refugees reside in the urban areas of Jordan with only ten percent living in refugee camps Hosting the refugees is a very expensive undertaking The cost of the refugees is roughly 2 9 billion which comprises eight percent of Jordan s GDP The refugee surge has deeply burdened the public services within the country Municipalities are ill equipped to provide necessary services for the overwhelming number of new residents The arrival of the refugees has created a need for new roads to be built and the expansion of the electricity and waste management infrastructure
