World Refugee Year - 35 fils
This commemorative stamp was issued by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to mark World Refugee Year, a major global humanitarian campaign initiative established by the United Nations that ran from June 1959 to June 1960. Released on April 7, 1960, Jordan's participation in this international philatelic program aimed to focus global attention on the plight of displaced populations worldwide. For Jordan, this global initiative carried immense local significance, as the country had absorbed hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees following the 1948 conflict and was actively working alongside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to administer aid and support services.
By dedicating an official postal release to this international effort, the Jordanian government sought to secure broader humanitarian support and advocate for the rights and welfare of refugees on the world stage. Because stamps from this issue traveled on everyday mail globally, they functioned as miniature advocacy tools, communicating Jordan’s direct involvement with the humanitarian crisis to international observers. Today, this issue remains a highly significant historical and social record, documenting the intersection of Jordan's national challenges with mid-20th-century global humanitarian diplomacy.
By dedicating an official postal release to this international effort, the Jordanian government sought to secure broader humanitarian support and advocate for the rights and welfare of refugees on the world stage. Because stamps from this issue traveled on everyday mail globally, they functioned as miniature advocacy tools, communicating Jordan’s direct involvement with the humanitarian crisis to international observers. Today, this issue remains a highly significant historical and social record, documenting the intersection of Jordan's national challenges with mid-20th-century global humanitarian diplomacy.