Safadi, top UN officials review efforts to resolve crisis in Syria

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday held talks with UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, with a focus on efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria and mechanisms for cooperation between the Kingdom and UN organisations in addressing the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis.

Safadi briefed the meeting participants on the outcomes of the Jeddah and Amman meetings, in addition to the Amman statement, which provided a roadmap for progressing towards a political solution to the crisis in Syria and addressing all its humanitarian, security and political implications, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Safadi stressed the importance of cooperation between the Arab League’s committee for liaising with Syria and the UN to resolve the crisis and end the devastation and suffering of the Syrian people.

Safadi and UN officials discussed cooperation in implementing the Amman consultative meeting agreement to provide the necessary security and living conditions for the voluntary return of refugees.

Safadi affirmed that the solution to the refugee crisis lies in providing the necessary environment for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

The foreign minister noted that active steps must be taken to help the refugees who choose to return in order to ensure their safety and provide them with decent living conditions. 

During the meeting, Safadi presented the details of the Jordanian initiative, some of which were adopted in the Amman statement regarding the return of refugees. He also discussed methods of cooperating with UN organisations for the implementation of the plan.

Safadi and the UN officials stressed the importance of cooperation between the Kingdom and UN organisations in addressing the repercussions of the refugee crisis and providing a decent standard of living for the approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Safadi also warned of the consequences of declining international support for refugees, their UN organisations and host countries. 

The foreign minister also noted the negative effects of decline in some international organisations' support for refugees in Jordan, stressing the need for sustained services. 

Jordan exceeded its refugee capacity at a time when the Kingdom was facing difficult economic challenges, Safadi added, stressing the need for the international community to assume its full responsibilities towards refugees and support the Kingdom with the assistance necessary to support refugees in the country, as only 10 per cent of refugees live in camps, Safadi said. 

Refugee support is an international responsibility, rather than solely the issue of host countries, Safadi said. Providing refugees with decent standards of living pending their return is a humanitarian duty and a regional and international security imperative, he added.

The UN officials expressed their appreciation for Jordan's significant humanitarian role in hosting refugees, and providing them with education and health services, among other vital necessities.

The participants agreed to continue coordination and joint action to create conditions conducive to the voluntary return of refugees by providing assistance and support to both refugees and host countries.