A Line of Hope

In a quiet office in Amman, Manal spends her working hours answering calls on UNICEF’s helpline. Since she joined the helpline team after its launch in 2018, Manal has been a source of practical support for thousands of vulnerable children and families across Jordan.

“Families facing all sorts of difficult circumstances call us,” Manal explains. “Sometimes they seek support to register or keep their children in school, or want to access the nearest UNICEF-supported Makani centre and its services. Sometimes, they have concerns about bullying or harassment.” 

The UNICEF helpline in Jordan is a trusted number that families can call when they need support through UNICEF’s programmes or have concerns about them. Families can ask questions about the programmes, share complaints, or give feedback. In some cases, the helpline can also  refers families to UNICEF’s  national partners helping them find the right services when needed.  

Whenever possible, Manal resolves issues directly, like guiding refugee families on school registration process or even finding the nearest schools to their households. While for child protection concerns, such as harassment or abuse cases, she takes careful details, never probing beyond what the caller chooses to share, and promptly refers the case to the relevant entity to provide the necessary support.  

“Sometimes, people just need to be heard,” she says softly. “Other times, they need urgent help. There are some services and guidance we can provide directly through the helpline, and when referrals are needed we connect the families to the relevant actors.”

 Amid severe budget gaps facing humanitarian development and humanitarian actors in Jordan, the helpline remains an anchor in a shifting landscape of need. It also gives UNICEF a way to better understand people’s needs and improve its programmes.

Iman, 36, began working on UNICEF’s helpline in 2019, shortly after completing a customer service course, supported by a UNICEF technical and vocational training programme. Her daily work, as she describes it, requires empathy, patience and strength.  

“People call us with all kinds of asks and requests, we serve all children living in Jordan regardless if they were refugees or Jordanians,” she says.

Despite the difficulties that come with this job, Iman takes pride in her work. 

“Even when I can’t solve a problem myself, every referral, answer, or moment spent listening can bring relief.” 

Before ending her shift, Iman offers a message of gratitude. 

“These services and referrals we inform the callers about are a light that keep so many families going here in Jordan. We see that every day.” 

Thanks to the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, through the PROSPECTS partnership, and other generous donors, UNICEF’s helpline continues to provide life-changing referrals to its programmes or partners  to thousands of vulnerable children and families across Jordan.