US Embassy In Amman Expected To Become Regional Grant Management Hub For MENA

According to information obtained by AmmanNet, the U.S. State Department-now overseeing the portfolio formerly managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-is moving forward with plans to establish five global hubs to manage foreign assistance grants. Jordanian diplomatic sources indicate that the U.S. Embassy in Amman is likely to be designated as the main hub for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

This strategic move is part of a broader plan to restructure and restore funding for key development sectors, including water, education, and social protection, which were suspended during the administration of former President Donald Trump, when USAID grants were globally frozen.

Sources in Amman told AmmanNet that all direct grants to the Jordanian military and government have now been reinstated, alongside renewed support for other essential programs focusing on water, education, and gender-based violence.

Most of the approved grants will be implemented either directly by government entities or in partnership with them. One significant program, known as Hemaya (Arabic for "protection"), will address all aspects of domestic violence through coordinated efforts between the Ministries of Health and Social Development, in collaboration with civil society organizations.

The Hemaya project is a four-year initiative backed by a $33 million U.S. grant. It aims to comprehensively address domestic violence in Jordan, where the annual cost of such violence against women and girls aged 15 and older is estimated at over 130 million Jordanian dinars, according to United Nations agencies.

These developments fall under a seven-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2022 between Jordan and the United States, which guarantees $10.15 billion in U.S. government funding through 2029.

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