Miscellaneous

Jordan continued its open border policy in 2015, with new refugee arrivals recorded on an almost daily basis. The government estimates the number of Syrians in the Kingdom at 1,369,678, some 633,466 of whom are registered with the UNHCR. International support for Jordan in shouldering the refugee burden was below expectations, accounting for around only 36 per cent of the cost, officials said

In February, Syrian-American Deah Barakat, his Jordanian-American wife Yusur Abu Salha and her sister Razan were shot dead by US citizen Craig Stephen Hicks, in what was known as the Chapel Hill shooting. Hicks was charged with three counts of murder for the crime 

In June, a stray bombshell from a southern Syrian battlefield hit a house in the northern city of Ramtha, killing one person and injuring four. Later in the month, another bombshell from Syria's Daraa town hit a house in the city, with no loss of life or injuries

In September, UNRWA schools opened their doors as normal after nearly three months of anticipation over the fate of the agency's educational programmes due to financial issues. The agency received the needed support days before the start of the school year

In November, four people, including two children, died when heavy rainfall set off flash floods and wreaked havoc in Amman. In the same month, sisters Soraya and Jumana Salti died in "mysterious" circumstances, with investigators concluding that there was no suspicion of foul play. The sisters fell off the roof of an under-construction building in Jweideh area