‘National Aid Fund to compensate families affected by natural disasters’

AMMAN — Beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund (NAF) and underprivileged families whose households are damaged by natural disasters will be compensated by the government under new regulations.

Regulations governing urgent financial aid for NAF beneficiaries and underprivileged families whose houses are damaged by natural disasters, such as floods or landslides, have been issued in the Official Gazette and went into force December 1, 2014.

Under the regulations, concerned government agencies will provide food, clothes and treatment to these families, while district governors, the Ministry of Social Development and the Civil Defence Department will cooperate in securing shelter for them.

In addition, the new regulations stipulate that NAF can disburse urgent financial aid that doesn’t exceed JD500 per year to beneficiaries whose houses are affected by natural disasters.

NAF Director Basma Ishaqat said on Wednesday that the fund has been providing assistance to underprivileged families whose houses are affected by disasters or fires, underscoring that the new regulations were drafted to regulate the process.

Ishaqat said 10,000 families annually benefit from the fund’s aid in different cases, including death of the head of the family or if their home is burned down.

Natural disasters have now been added, she said, but added that NAF has not provided any financial aid to its beneficiaries or other underprivileged families since the regulations went into force.

“The annual budget has not been dispensed yet; therefore, we have not provided any financial aid to families affected by natural disasters,” Ishaqat told The Jordan Times.

She noted that financial aid will be distributed to victims of natural disasters once the annual budget is issued.