British ambassador visits UK-funded projects in Irbid

AMMAN  — British Ambassador Edward Oakden on Monday visited Irbid to review a number of UK-funded projects that are aimed at empowering local young people as well as supporting communities hosting large numbers of refugees, according to an embassy statement .

Oakden visited Mercy Corps’ leadership and community development programme in the city, which seeks to help local communities hosting Syrian refugees to reduce tensions by building ways to resolve conflict and “act as a force for good” in their local area. 

The project contributed to creating safe spaces for local residents, including improvements to schools, the statement said.

The ambassador visited Edoun Primary School, where he saw how the school benefitted from new classrooms funded by the UK. He took part in a story-telling session of a book, which is part of Mercy Corps’ nationwide programme to build bridges between communities and strengthen social cohesion.

Oakden also held a Q&A session with local community leaders, hearing how they benefitted from Mercy Corps’ training in conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving, the statement continued.

The ambassador then visited the Emergency Service and Social Resilience Project in Irbid, to which the UK has contributed more than $27 million.

The project, which the UK has supported since 2013 in partnership with the World Bank and the governments of Canada, Switzerland and Denmark, has supported spending at a municipal level on roads, solid waste management and parks.

Following meetings with the governor and mayor of Irbid, the ambassador said: “I’m encouraged today to have witnessed the real, practical impact of British support to local communities in Jordan. We recognise the pressure on many Jordanian communities, including additional schools which are hosting large refugee populations.”

“The funding we’ve provided for essential infrastructures including additional schools is helping to relieve this pressure, but we’re also investing in Jordan’s long-term future by empowering young people all over the Kingdom to be a positive influence in their local communities,” he added.