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AMMAN — Funding for the 2019 Jordan Response Plan, aimed at helping the Kingdom overcome challenges ensuing from the Syrian crisis, has so far reached 40.2 per cent of the aid required under the scheme.

Some $966.9 million in funding was granted out of a total of around $2.4 billion requested for 2019 under the plan, designed to support refugees and mitigate the consequences of the crisis on host communities, figures by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation on Tuesday showed.

Of the total amount of aid received under the plan, $101 million was allocated to support education and $88 million to support the health sector.

 Some $87 million was earmarked for water sector support, while $61 million was allocated to livelihood support, $49 million for local governance and municipal services and $36 million for social protection.

The US topped the list of countries that committed funds to the plan with $402 million, followed by Germany, which has provided $177.4 million so far. 

Funds from the EU reached $44 million, while Canada provided $19  million and Switzerland provided $10 million, according to the ministry website.

The remainder of the assistance came from, South Korea, Italy, the UAE, France, Kuwait, Japan, Poland, Australia, Finland and Malaysia, among others.

Jordan and the international community in February endorsed a $2.4-billion Jordan Response Platform (JRP) for the Syria Crisis for the year 2019.

Of the funding requirements, $702.9 million was allocated to refugees, while $698.9 million was set to support the resilience of host communities and the remaining $998.2 million is assigned for budget support.

The JRP, formulated by governmental and international donor agencies, seeks to compensate Jordan for the hardship it has been shouldering as a result of regional crises. It aims at securing sufficient grants and concessional financing to address general budget needs over the next three years.

AMMAN — The National Unified Registry (NUR) and Outreach Worker Programme, funded by the World Bank (WB) and supervised by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, is 75-per cent complete, according to an implementation status and results report published by the WB this week.

The project began on October 8, 2013 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2019, the report stated, adding that its goal is to improve the targetting of social safety net programmes and develop an efficient outreach mechanism to support underprivileged families.

The NUR is the first component of a project built to target safety nets, according to the WB website.

The website adds that the NUR has two sub-components. The first is building a database of private and informal sector workers at the Income and Sales Tax Department and using the NUR at the Ministry of Finance. 

The aim is to help the government reach families more effectively, analyse their situation and determine the services required to improve their livelihoods. 

The second component focuses on piloting the Integrated Outreach Worker Programme. 

The first sub-component is about outreach design, planning and training of outreach workers, under which the report says that 371 skilled outreach workers have been deployed, 51 supervisors have been trained to train outreach workers and 93 per cent of eligible households have been referred to services according to the needs assessment against a target of 70 per cent.

The project is expected to disburse 98 per cent of grant funds, which total $9.5 million, by the project's closing date, according to the report. 

According to the report, the project has reached 83,927 direct beneficiary households, which is 75 per cent of its goal of 112,400 households. 

The NUR has been tested and piloted in the implementation of the Expansion of the National Aid Fund Program (Takaful), benefitting 151,815 individuals, including 71,971 females, according to the report. 

The report adds that besides cash support, the platform was used for targeting insurance, energy subsidy support and transportation subsidy, as 37,258 households were selected to receive health insurance and 1,028 households were selected to receive solar panels. 

AMMAN — The Lower House on Tuesday held a monitoring session in the presence of Cabinet members to discuss the government's responses to 13 questions raised by lawmakers. 

The lawmakers addressed several issues pertaining to opposition against gas import from Israel, announcing their intention to initiate a vote of no confidence against the government.

House members also discussed the need for specialised doctors in public hospitals and ways of addressing the H1N1 virus.

The MPs also discussed endeavours to support renewable energy projects, as well as demands pertaining to roads, higher education and supporting livestock farmers, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Deputies also discussed House procedures to adopt a statement by the House Palestine Committee welcoming the International Criminal Court's decision to investigate war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army. 

In response to MP Mutaz Abu Rumman’s question about the delay in the opening of a new hospital in Salt, Health Minister Saad Jaber said that the health facility is scheduled to be opened during the first quarter of 2020.  

MP Awwad Zawaideh inquired about the role of the Tourism Ministry and the Jordan Tourism Board in developing desert, archaeological and religious tourism in addition to the cost of stimulating tourism in the golden triangle (Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba).

Deputy Mahmoud Titi also requested the government to clarify its plan to provide 30,000 jobs. 

Lawmaker Muhammad Riati did not object to the government's response refuting any intention to build a casino in Aqaba. 

First Deputy Lower House Speaker Nassar Qaisi adjourned the session due to lack of quorum.  

AMMAN — The Jordan Valley Authority called on farmers to take the necessary precautions in preparation for the expected depression, cautioning them and the general public not to approach waterways, valleys, dams or irrigation channels.

Secretary General of the Jordan Valley Authority Ali Kouz said in a recent statement that farmers should prepare for extreme weather conditions, as per the weather forecast, which expects heavy rains and torrents, especially in low-lying valleys.

“Farmers across the Kingdom, particularly in the Jordan Valley and Wadi Araba, can approach the Jordan Valley Authority for help at any time during the depression, as the authority will deploy its cadres to deal with developments in the weather situation,” he added.

The Authority will be in regular communication with the Operations and Control Centre at the Water Ministry, Water Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh said. 

He noted that the joint cadres “will deal with all requests with the utmost responsibility”.

He added: “The farmers’ cooperation and adherence to instructions is vital in protecting their crops. Any failure to take necessary precautionary measures will make the cadres’ job unnecessarily difficult during the depression.”

Kouz noted that maintenance cadres from the Jordan Valley Authority have also removed waste and dirt that could cause flooding from small-ferry canals near irrigation canals.

“Our round-the-clock teams are well-prepared to receive any calls for help during the depression, covering an area stretching from the Northern Jordan Valley and Adasiyah areas to the south of the valley and the south of the Kingdom,” he concluded.

AMMAN — More than 35,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria via the Jordanian-Syrian borders as of the beginning of December, according to Spokesperson for the UNHCR in Jordan Muhammad Hawari.

In a phone interview with The Jordan Times, Hawari said that more than 35,000 Syrian refugees in total have returned to their homes since the opening of the Jaber/Nasib Border in October 2018.

“Any refugee who has returned did so voluntarily. We stress that the refugees are the only decision makers in this regard, and that the return process happens without restrictions or obstacles that stand in the way of the refugee,” he added.

The UNHCR noted that its numbers match those of the Jordanian authorities.

According to the agency, Jordan hosts the second largest proportion of refugees in the world compared to its number of citizens, and one out of three of its population is a refugee. 

More than 80 per cent of refugees live outside the camps, and 20 per cent inside them, according to the agency.

Refugees have returned from both the camps and urban areas in the Kingdom, and the process has been described by Hawari as “smooth” since it began over a year ago.

“It should be noted that the return rates this time of year are below average, as it is the winter season and most refugees do not want to risk returning to an unstable housing situation in cold weather. Another reason is that some are still concerned about the security and safety situation in Syria,” concluded Hawari.

AMMAN — 10,000 vulnerable families will receive food parcels this winter under a new partnership between the UN World Food Progamme (WFP) and the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD).

 The agreement to distribute the winter food parcels was signed on Monday, and aims to reduce poverty and improve food security of the most vulnerable communities throughout the country, according to a WFP statement on Monday.

Distribution of 9,600 food parcels will start in early January, while an emergency stock of 400 parcels will be provided to families in case of flash floods or storms. Each parcel covers the basic food needs of a family of five for a month, and includes items such as olive oil, flour, sugar, beans, packed vegetables and zaatar, according to the statement. 

The MoSD is currently working to identify the families that will be receiving the food parcels, the statement said. 

Minister of Social Development Basma Ishaqat said that the partnership with the WFP aims to reach the most vulnerable families in Jordan and works to reduce poverty among these families. She added that the Ministry will distribute the 10,000 food packages with WFP’s support, the statement said.

 “Winter is a particularly difficult time of the year when some vulnerable families are forced to choose between heating, warm clothing or buying food, and these food parcels will help to ease the pressure for these families, while at the same time ensuring their food security,” WFP Country Director and Representative in Jordan Sarah Gordon-Gibson was quoted in the statement as saying. 

She added: “In line with national priorities, the WFP will focus on supporting national social protection efforts, and the partnership between MoSD and WFP is a first step in that direction”. 

AMMAN — Members of the Lower House’s Palestine Committee on Tuesday visited Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem Atallah Hanna, who was admitted to the Jordan Hospital after an Israeli gas canister was fired into his church in Jerusalem.

During the visit, MP Yahya Saud, head of the committee, said that the attack falls within a series of attempts by Israel to “assassinate” Palestinian leaders, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Hanna, for his part, highlighted the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.   

AMMAN — The Energy Ministry on Tuesday refuted claims that Energy Minister Hala Zawati had said that gas imported from Noble Energy, a Houston-based company that holds the largest share in the Israeli Leviathan Gas Field, would reduce the cost of electricity production by 40 fils, according to a ministry spokesperson.

The ministry said that Zawati had made a comparison between the cost of electricity produced from burnt oil shale and gas imported from all sources, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.   

AMMAN — A Senate delegation, which included the heads of the Senate's permanent committees, on Tuesday reviewed the procedures followed by the Independent Election Commission (IEC).

As a result of following these procedures, the commission obtained an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) accreditation in election management, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. It is the first time that a country in the region has obtained this certification in the field of election management, Petra said.

Chairman of the Commission Khaled Kalaldeh, during his meeting with the delegation, gave a detailed presentation on the activities and programmes of the commission.

He reviewed its preparations for any electoral process, as well as special programmes designed to develop and improve the capabilities of its personnel and provide them with the necessary skills.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received church leaders in Jordan and Jerusalem, and leading Jordanian Christian figures and representatives of Islamic and awqaf institutions at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Speaking at the meeting, the King expressed best wishes to Christians in Jordan, Palestine and the whole world on the occasion of the holiday season, stressing that Muslims and Christians in Jordan are one family working for the nation’s progress and prosperity, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty reaffirmed the right of Jerusalem’s churches to preserve their property and holy sites, and to worship freely, adding that safeguarding the rights of Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem is a Hashemite duty and legacy.

The King expressed keenness to reach out to church leaders in Jordan and Jerusalem and representatives of Islamic and awqaf institutions, voicing his support and appreciation, the statement said.

For their part, speakers at the meeting highlighted the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, describing it as the legitimate, authentic custodianship that emanates from the Hashemite legacy rooted in religion and history, according to the statement.

The speakers expressed appreciation for His Majesty’s role in defending Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, commending the King’s efforts to promote interfaith harmony and coexistence.

In an address delivered on behalf of Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City and all Jordan and Palestine, Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Amman, underscored Jordan as a role model for promoting peace and tolerance, as well as a beacon of stability in the region, the statement said.

Archbishop Atallah extended the greetings of Patriarch Theophilos III to His Majesty and the Jordanian people on the occasion of Christmas, stressing support for the Hashemite Custodianship and emphasising the King’s role in bolstering coexistence in the region.

Also speaking at the meeting, Jerusalem Awqaf Department Director Mohammad Azzam Khatib extended his greetings to His Majesty and all Arabs and Jordanians on the occasion of Christmas, according to the statement.

Khatib lauded the King’s firm support and protection of Jerusalem and its holy sites in his capacity as Hashemite Custodian, noting that the Hashemite Custodianship is the only legitimate guardianship accepted and appreciated by Jerusalemites, Muslims and Christians alike.

He added that despite the threat of Judaisation, Muslim and Christian Jerusalemites have formed a united front to counter the multitude of challenges facing the holy city.

Khatib said Jerusalemites will continue to protect their city with His Majesty’s unwavering support, leadership and guidance.

In his remarks at the meeting, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa paid tribute to Jordan as a model of harmony, and an oasis and a meeting place for everyone, the statement said.

Archbishop Pizzaballa noted that history has given the King the role of preserving the unique link between holy places and communities in the holy city of Jerusalem, highlighting His Majesty’s role in supporting communities in Jerusalem and safeguarding holy sites, such as through his contribution to the restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.