16 municipalities to benefit from $10.8m grant provided by UK, Denmark

AMMAN — On behalf of the government, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury on Thursday signed a grant agreement with the World Bank (WB) for additional financing.

The grant, worth $10.8 million, is part of a project to support the host communities of Syrian refugees, according to a statement released by the ministry on Saturday.

It was provided by the UK and Denmark through the WB’s credit fund, increasing total international financing for the project to $67 million, which will help bolster the resilience of municipalities affected by the Syrian refugee crisis, in line with the Jordan Response Plan.

The project aims at helping several municipalities and host communities address the direct impact of the refugee influx, the statement said.

It empowers municipalities to support domestic economic development by implementing several projects in addition to boosting their existing services, such as waste management, revamping roads and infrastructure, street lighting, pest control and social aid, according to the ministry.

Also within the project, the municipalities will receive technical aid to help them plan, manage and implement these projects.

Sixteen municipalities — in Irbid, Mafraq, Zarqa, Maan, Ajloun, Madaba and Balqa — will benefit from the fund. They were chosen in accordance with WB criteria, the ministry said.

It is expected that Jordan will receive more aid to include more municipalities, according to the statement.

The project will be implemented by the WB and the ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and various concerned government institutions.