EU announces 83-million-euro aid package to Jordan

AMMAN — The EU Regional Trust Fund on Monday announced a new 122-million-euro aid package to Jordan, Turkey and Iraq in response to the Syrian crisis, according to a sent statement.  

A large portion, or 83 million euros, will go to Jordan to support projects dealing with access to education, basic healthcare and cultural heritage development for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanian communities, said the statement said. 

With the new contribution, the fund has contributed 1.6 billion euros spanning 55 projects to support responses to the crisis.

Johannes Hahn, commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, said in the statement: “These new projects will facilitate access to education and basic healthcare services for the most vulnerable people, provide livelihood opportunities and strengthen mother-and-child care services."

The package also includes 27 million euros to provide livelihood opportunities through agricultural development and microloans in Turkey, as well as access to higher education for Syrian refugees and underprivileged Turkish communities. 

Iraq will receive 9.5 million euros to support women and children’s health services as well as cultural heritage development. 

At an EU Regional Trust Fund board meeting, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria and Estonia made new pledges for 2019 totalling 28.4 million euros. This comes after the board had already approved 220 million euros for the fund in 2019, the statement added. 

The board brings together the European Commission, EU member states, members of the European parliament and representatives from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and the World Bank, and in the past four years has given 300 million euros to support Jordan in dealing with the Syrian crisis.