EU announces 115m euros in aid for Kingdom’s infrastructure

AMMAN — The EU has pledged 115 million euros (around JD87 million) towards Jordanian waste management and “democratic governance” programmes, as part of continuing support to the Kingdom, an EU statement said on Sunday.

The pledge comes in the context of several agreements between Jordan and the EU, with a particular focus on supporting the Kingdom to deal with the substantial strain of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees.

This new round of EU funding seeks to alleviate some of the strain on Jordan’s infrastructure caused by the large increase in population since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011. 

A total of 100 million euros is earmarked for improving and expanding waste management systems, aiming to improve health and quality of life in the country, the statement said.

The remaining 15 million euros will be used as part of the Enhanced Support to Democratic Governance programme, with the goal of supporting Jordan’s “reform process towards consolidation of deeper democracy”, the EU statement added.

Over 1.3 million Syrians currently live in Jordan, according to official figures. A total of 655,895 Syrians are registered as refugees with the UNHCR in Jordan.

Of the registered refugees, approximately 80 per cent live in urban areas outside refugee camps.