Baqa’a Refugee Camp, Amman, Jordan, 2026

The cost of this trip for each volunteer is tax deductible donation of approximately $850.00.  You will be notified of the final cost as soon as possible. 

About the trip: Global First Responder, with our partners, Dr. Jeff Wade and the Orphan Welfare Association, has again been invited to provide medical care in the Baqa’a Refugee Camp, approximately 20km from Amman. Baqa’a camp was one of six ’emergency’ camps set up in 1968 to accommodate Palestine refugees and displaced people who were displaced from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza by the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The camp, which is the largest in Jordan, lies about 20 kilometres north of Amman.   Today it is a densely populated, permanent part of the city, rather than a temporary tent city, and is home to over 100,000 Palestine refugees.  While it features established infrastructure like schools and businesses, it remains one of the poorest areas, facing high unemployment, poor sanitation, and significant infrastructure challenges. 

Today, multiple generations know life only in the camp.  The oversight organization for the camp is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).  There are 9 additional refugees camps in Jordan, all trying to obtain the scant resources that are available.

With more than 132,000 residents, poverty and high unemployment are major challenges facing the residents of Baqa’a.   46% of Palestinian refugees in the camp don’t have health insurance and medical care is expensive without insurance.  The camp has the third highest level of poverty of the ten camps in Jordan with 32 percent reportedly having an income below the national poverty line.  Baqa’a camp is also ranked second highest of the ten camps in unemployment, with 17 percent of refugees living in the camp unemployed.

Sustainability:  Your team will participate in a full day of teaching for medical students and recently graduated physicians from the local areas.  These students will have the opportunity to rotate working with all of our physicians, enhancing their skills and helping them prepare for registry exams.  They will also rotate through pharmacy, triage, laboratory, and ultrasound to increase their skills in those areas.  

About GFR: GFR’s main focus is to provide excellent medical, dental, optical, and mom/baby care in the countries were we work and to provide community health education and tools for families to keep them healthier.  At the same time, we provide professional education for medical students, young physicians, community health care workers and health volunteers.  GFR has a long history of building and repairing schools, clinics, and community centers in areas where we provide care, as well as placing permanent drinking water treatment facilities in communities that have great need.  To date, GFR has completed the installation of  8 permanent water purification systems (filtering up to 12,000 gallons per day) in India, Uganda, and Zambia and have built or refurbished 7 schools, community centers, and orphanages. In 2026, will install 2 additional permanent filtration systems and build a 2000sf community center in Peru, all in partnership with the local communities.  We also ensure, through local monitoring, the continuing operation of these facilities and provide training as necessary.

Arrivals and Departures for the Medical Team: Please arrive in Amman, Jordan (airport code AMM) on or before October 16, 2026.  Your hotel and meals on October 16 are on your own.   The official start to the GFR trip is the afternoon of October 17 at the host hotel.  You will meet your team and prepare for the week ahead.  Your hotel, breakfast, lunch and dinner are covered from October 17 – October 24.  Your GFR trip officially ends in the afternoon of October 24 at the host hotel, following the end of the teaching day for local medical students and new physicians.  Clinic ends on October 22 and if you are not part of the teaching faculty, you can choose to leave early – but we hope you won’t!

What’s Included: This trip includes lodging, transportation, translators, water, breakfast, lunch, and dinner within the official dates of the trip. Dinners will be at the host hotel; you can choose to go out at your own expense.  Most clinic supplies and any special projects are covered by GFR. In 2026, we are adding a $100 per person fee to cover the increased cost of medications and supplies.

What’s Not Included: Your international airfare, snacks and drinks other than water, personal vaccines, and pre/post trip travel costs and expenses, trip insurance, professional malpractice insurance if desired, transportation to and from the airport (appx $40/taxi), and any free day or post- trip adventures you wish to engage in while in Jordan.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GFR TRIPS BEFORE YOU APPLY:

We want you to be prepared for volunteering and caring for others!  Please read this section carefully and make sure that you are capable of participating fully in the following conditions. If you are not flexible regarding accommodations, transportation, food, and working conditions, we recommend seeking other volunteer opportunities that will better suit your needs.

Team Leaders: Our team leaders are in place for your safety and to ensure that the clinical experience is excellent for our patients and team members.  Any and all concerns on the trip should be addressed in a timely manner directly with the team leader. Your team leader will do their best to address your concerns and will take appropriate actions.  Please be aware that changes to your satisfaction will not always be possible.

Physical Conditions:  All volunteers need to be in good basic physical health and free of physical impairments that would prevent participation. Temperatures will be 70s-80s during the day and low 50s at night.  October is the beginning of the rainy season and you should be prepared for light showers.

In Jordan we work in our partner’s modern building, headquarters of the Orphan Welfare Association.  The OWA provide everything we need to have a professional clinic, with private spaces for our clinical staff and patients, excellent lunches, and outstanding service. There are steep stairs in the building and you will need to be able to go up and down frequently, depending on your role.

Food:  If you have food allergies or personal likes or dislikes, you are responsible for bringing food that meets your needs.  We recommend you bring bars, nutritious snacks, camping food, and other food items that will keep you healthy and satisfied on the trip.  In general, our trips provide local, well-cooked and safe food that is a mix of home-cooked, small restaurants, and guest house cooked meals.  If you have special requirements, you need to be prepared to feed yourself.  Additionally, if you have life-threatening allergies, please make this known to the team leader prior to each meal so it can be discussed with the cooks. You should also assume that the food may not be allergen-free, regardless of what you are told.  If you require an EpiPen, make sure you have at least 2 pens within date with you at all times.  

Lodging:  Our team stays in a beautiful hotel about 15 minutes from our clinic location.  The hotel has air conditioning, hot water, and ensuite bathrooms.  Rooms are shared unless a single room is requested and available at additional cost.  Transportation is by private van.  Food is buffet style with plenty of choices for breakfast and dinner.  Laundry is available at hotel rates or you can take your laundry out locally.  This is a full service hotel.  

Personal Electronics:   We recommend being prepared with extra batteries as required for your personal items and a strip so that multiple items can be plugged into a single outlet.  Adapter plugs for outlets and power converters are often also necessary.

Personal Medical Equipment: You are responsible for bringing your own clinical equipment – BP cuff, stethoscope, pulse oximeter, and any other supplies you use in general patient care for your specialty (otoscope, ophthalmoscope, etc).  GFR will supply a doppler, nebulizer and supplies, ultrasound, laboratory, and wound care.  Diagnostic equipment is not readily available locally so please ensure you have what you need for your specialty.

How is your cost calculated?: At Global First Responder we strive to keep your costs low and our quality high.   We value your participation and willingness to volunteer your time and expertise. Everyone at Global First Responder is also a volunteer, donating their time to administrative tasks and paying their own way to participate in medical and construction missions around the world and at home.  The fee you pay covers the actual cost of your expenses in country including lodging, transportation, meals, and translator fees and expenses. In 2026, we are adding a $100 general fee to each volunteer cover the increased costs of medications and supplies so that we can continue to provide excellent care for our patients.   At GFR, no one is paid a salary and everyone is a passionate volunteer, doing our part to help drive our mission of “One Global World, One Global Family”.

Cost: The cost of this trip is approximately $850.00 per person plus airfare. You are responsible for purchasing airfare that meets the required arrival and departure times.  We always suggest giving yourself extra time for delayed or canceled flights and that you purchase trip insurance from a reputable carrier.  This trip is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.  You or your donors will receive a tax receipt upon making a donation. Please note: All donations made on your behalf through the application system or the Global First Responder website are non-refundable to you.  Any funds that you or your donors donate will be 100% utilized for patient care or projects directly benefiting our partner communities.  

After the trip:  There is so much to do in Jordan that it is hard for us to choose what to highlight for you!  Consider spending 1 or 2 days in Petra, a 3.5 hour drive from Amman and Wadi Rum, a little further south.   There are many famous sites along the way including St. George’s Church and Kerak Castle.  Spend a few days in Amman!  It is beautiful and friendly city with wonderful souks and marketplaces, many beautiful and historical mosques, gorgeous views, and fun people watching.  If you are a beach-goer, don’t forget the Red Sea!  The beaches are spectacular and Aqaba is a beautiful town.  Are you a diver?   You just need to go a few meters off shore to dive in Aqaba!

Click here to apply for this trip:  I want to go to Jordan with GFR!

If this is your first time applying in our application system, please create a login and password.  You may use this login and password for all future trips you apply for (and we hope to see you on LOTS of GFR trips!!)

PROPOSED Itinerary: 

Pre-trip October 16, 2026:   Plan to arrive in Amman, Jordan on or before November 1.   Tonight is “on your own” – please get your own transport from the airport and make your own hotel reservations (you will know the host hotel well in advance).  Hotel and meals are on your own today.    This is a great day to rest up from your long flight and if you arrive early, see a little of Amman.The official start date of the trip is Nov. 2 with an early transport from Amman to Baqa’a Refugee Camp by road.

October 17, 2026: Today is the official start date of the trip.  Please meet at the host hotel (we will let you know the name of the hotel) to meet your team and prepare for clinic.   

October 18 – 22, 2026:   Your team will be holding full day medical camps.  This is the last day of official work for the team unless you are teaching during our education day for the medical students.  If you need to get back early or you have limited time for sightseeing, you are free to leave after clinic – but we hope that you will stay for the free day tomorrow and for the teaching day on the 24th.  We will celebrate your excellent work tonight.

October 23, 2026: Friday is the Sabbath day in Jordan and you have a free day today. The day is on your own to plan.  The cost of any activities (including a team generated activity) is on your own.  Our host may be able to help you with planning some excursions.  Petra, a World Heritage Site, is a long day but very doable.  There are many important historical sites in Amman and the Dead Sea and Israel are very doable for the day.

October 24, 2026:  A full day of education is planned for our medical students. You will be asked to submit the topic of your talk prior to the start of the trip.  Everyone is welcome to teach, learn,  or simply  join in the day.  Today is also the official end of the GFR trip.  You can plan on departing from the host hotel after 4:30pm.  You are welcome to leave your luggage at the hotel or bring it with you to the teaching day.