JRP 2021 only reaches 17.7% of target funding — Planning Ministry

AMMAN —  Only 17.7 per cent, or $431 million, of a $2.432-billion plan for Jordan to respond to the Syrian crisis, was made available between the beginning of 2021 and October 26, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation announced on Tuesday.

The 2020 Jordan Response Plan to the Syrian Crisis’s (JRP) budget deficient now stands at 82.3 percent, or $2.001 billion, the ministry said in a statement cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The ministry warned that failure to finance the plan will reflect negatively on the quality and quantity of services provided to refugees, especially in the water, health and education sectors.

Detailing the figures, the ministry said that the "Host Communities Support" component has received $111 million out of the $192 million needed, while the "Refugee Support" item received $304 million out of the $617 million needed.

According to the 2021 JRP budget, the "Infrastructure and Institutional Capacity Building" component needed $412 million, but only $6.4 million has been made available so far. 

"Response to COVID-19", a newly introduced item, received $9.9 million while the needs are set at $261 million, the ministry added.

The ministry noted that the US was the JRP's top financer with a total of $107.8 million, followed by Germany with $99 million, and the EU with $85 million, including $49 million in the form of projects carried out through its "Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (Madad Fund)".

The ministry indicated that the government will continue to urge the international community to assume its responsibilities to support the JRP, so it can maintain the quality of services for Syrian refugees and host communities.

The ministry also stressed that Jordan will continue to provide the necessary services to Syrian refugees in proportion to the available resources. They also stressed that the Kingdom will remain committed to hosting the refugees until their voluntary return to their country.

The ministry pointed out that Jordan participated in the Fifth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region," which was held earlier this year.

The ministry said that the Kingdom,during the event, acquainted the world with the financial needs that must be made available to the communities hosting Syrian refugees and urged the international community to assume its responsibilities so that Jordan can continue this humanitarian role.