(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - The Heads of Cooperation of the European Union and its member states on Sunday checked on a number of
EU-funded projects in Mafraq Governorate.The director of the Zaatari refugee camp for Syrian refugees, Brig. Gen. Baker Al Rawashdeh, said that there are currently 3.5 million refugees from 51 different nationalities residing in Jordan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
A total of 1.3 million Syrian refugees arrived in Jordan fleeing their home country due to the ongoing crisis, with 676,000 of them being officially registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Of these refugees, 130,000 are currently living in refugee camps, which represent 18 per cent of the total number, while the rest have settled in cities and villages across the Kingdom, he added.
Rawashdeh highlighted the enormous pressure that the Syrian refugee crisis has put on various sectors in Jordan, especially the energy and water sectors, given the scarcity of economic resources.
He also emphasised that since the arrivals of refugees in Jordan, the government has collaborated with donor countries to develop a response plan aimed at addressing the Syrian refugee crisis. In 2020, the commitment rate of donor countries to the response plan reached approximately 49 per cent, while in 2021, it was around 30 per cent. However, there remains a significant deficit, with last year's shortfall totalling JD1.9 billion, he added.
He also noted that the camp provides security and protection to all refugees, organisations, delegations and guests visiting the camp and all service-related problems are resolved in cooperation with partners inside the camp.
Prior to the visit, the EU said in a statement that the #TeamEurope visit would be an occasion for the nine EU member states and the European Investment Bank (EIB) representative for Jordan, Souad Farsi, participating in this trip to assess the implementation of several projects in the sector education, in and out of Syrian refugee camps, including the Zaatari camp.
For the last 13 Years, the EU and its member states alone contributed more than 10 billion euros to support Jordan with hosting Syrian refugees and help Jordanians face economic and social challenges, the statement said.
“We are very proud to see nine European member states and the EU delegation participating in this mission. It is the first time a joint EU mission of this importance takes place in Jordan. It shows the EU's commitment and solidarity with the people of Jordan, particularly in the sector of education and support to refugees. I believe this mission will result in a continued successful partnership with the Government of Jordan,” the statement quoted Patrick Lambrechts, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Jordan, as saying.
Since the arrival of the Syrian refugees in Jordan in 2011, #TeamEurope has been supporting Jordan to ensure the provision of essential services. The EU support package places great emphasis on education for Jordanians and refugee students.
#TeamEurope is committed to promoting inclusive education in Jordan. This includes support not only to schools in camps, but also facilities for out-of-school learning and safe spaces for children who require additional attention through the Makani centres, the statement said.
Outside the camp, #TeamEurope is engaged in supporting the inclusion of refugee children in regular Jordanian public schools, and assists both refugee and Jordanian graduates in the search for dignified jobs and livelihoods.