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MAFRAQ — Jordanians and Syrians in the northern region say they are benefiting from a series of projects carried out by Mercy Corps that aim at easing the pressure placed by the refugee influx on host communities.

"The projects implemented in our village have helped immeasurably in alleviating the burdens resulting from hosting more than 10,000 Syrian refugees," said Nidal Khaldi, a community leader from Zaatari village in Mafraq, some 80 km northeast of Amman.

During a tour of these projects last week, Khaldi told The Jordan Times that the population in his village, which is just 500 metres away from the Zaatari Refugee Camp, has almost doubled from 15,000 to 25,000 due to the Syrian refugee influx. 

"Most of the Syrian youths in our village are jobless, which means social problems with their Jordanian peers," Khaldi noted, adding that a playground established by Mercy Corps has helped immensely as the two sides now have a place to socialise.

The projects fall within the British embassy-funded Leadership and Community Development Project (LCDP) implemented by Mercy Corps and include a public park and classroom extension. 

In addition, 120 solid waste containers and 250 street lights were distributed to municipalities, Khaldi said, adding that community leaders are now working with Mercy Corps to install underground rainwater tanks in schools and mosques.

"There are more than 20 random refugee camps in Zaatari village that have no infrastructure whatsoever," he said, noting that "the problem with most international relief agencies is that they direct their assistance to refugee camps that host only 20 per cent of the Syrian refugees while the remaining 80 per cent of them reside outside."

Lina Zu'bi, headmistress of Safiyah Bint Abdulmuttaleb Secondary School for Girls in the village, also commended Mercy Corps for implementing a kindergarten project in the school.

"The number of students has doubled from 200 to 400 after the Syrian refugee influx, causing unbearable pressure on the classrooms," Zu'bi told The Jordan Times.

Following last week's field visit to several LCDP projects, British Ambassador Peter Millett highlighted the impact of such initiatives in alleviating the burdens of host communities.

"It is amazing to see ideas put forward by Mercy Corps in cooperation with community leaders turning into concrete projects. It is beyond words to see people enjoying tangible results," Millett told The Jordan Times.

He added that the projects in Mafraq, Irbid and Ramtha are part of a series of initiatives worth £3 million to be implemented within three years.

"We are committed to that project," Millett said, citing its focus on bringing Jordanians and Syrians together through sports, debate clubs and other activities.

"We are helping provide places where Jordanians and Syrians can get together and engage in social activities."

The diplomat added that the British government responds to all priorities identified by Mercy Corps in collaboration with local communities.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Jordan since 2003, with its projects covering various sectors including water, energy and social welfare, according to LCDP Manager Zaid Hatokay,

"With the outbreak of the Syrian crisis... Mercy Corps has shifted its focus to the northern region," he said.

Noting that the LCDP "is a project from the community to the community", Hatokay added that "community leaders are given the chance to prioritise their regions' needs and our mission is to have these demands achieved on the ground."

Highlighting that Jordan's humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees is internationally acknowledged and appreciated, Millet voiced his country's commitment to help alleviate its accompanying burdens. 

"Jordan has set a highly appreciated model of generosity and hospitality in its humanitarian response to the Syrian refugee crisis."

"We see Jordanian families and communities open their door to Syrians and as the Syrian crisis continues and the Syrian communities remain in Jordan, we are committed to help in this regard."

AMMAN — The Qatari Fund for the Treatment of Wounded Syrians in Jordanian Hospitals on Sunday announced that it would extend medical assistance for Syrian refugees in the Kingdom. 

The project, which began providing medical support in November 2013, will implement its second phase over the next six months, Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) Secretary General Saleh Bin Ali Al Mohannadi said.

“After we found out about the medical needs of the refugees following our field work, we decided to organise this project in the Kingdom,” he told reporters at a press conference in Amman.

“More than 275 refugees have benefited from the project’s medical services since its launch,” Mohannadi added. 

The beneficiaries were aged between four and 50 years. 

The project is implemented by four Qatari charitable societies: Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF), Qatar Charity, the Organisation of Islamic Call and the QRC.  

The first phase of the project, which was launched in mid-2013, cost $1,089,317, while the second phase will cost $1,650,000, according to a QRC statement.

The cost of medical assistance for each patient is $4,500, according to figures shown in a short video screened during the press conference.

Of the total surgeries the project has covered, 45 per cent were eye operations, according to the video.    

The project also works with six Jordanian hospitals to treat refugees.

“The medical services we provide cover critical cases, including eye, head and spinal surgeries,” Mohannadi added. 

Hammad Al Fadani, the director of the Organisation of Islamic Call’s Qatar office, said the project covers the medical treatment of cases that have not been supported through other relief organisations.

Ayed Bin Dabsan Al Qahtani, general manager and chairman of RAF board of trustees, said this project is only an example of the support the Qatari people provide for Syrian refugees. 

The project has entrusted the QRC with implementing the initiative because of its experience in providing medical services and assistance in accordance with international standards, Mohannadi said.

AMMAN — Police on Sunday were questioning a man who reportedly shot and killed his fiancée on Saturday.

The 18-year-old woman was reportedly shot twice, allegedly by her fiancé, at his home, a senior official source said.

“One bullet struck her in the head and she was killed instantly,” the source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect then headed to a nearby police station and turned himself in, handing over the weapon purportedly used in the incident to officers on duty, the source added.

Initial questioning of the suspect indicated that he had an argument with the victim “over seeing her talking to some men in the neighbourhood a month earlier”.

“The argument ended with the suspect pulling a gun and shooting his fiancée,” the source explained.

Pathologists Azzam Haddad and Hussein Abul Sammen performed an autopsy on the victim and concluded that she died of a single bullet wound to the head, a second source said.

The pathologists also concluded that the victim was not sexually active at the time of the incident, the second source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect was ordered detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre pending further investigation and questioning of more relatives, the source said.

AMMAN — Dozens of young Jordanians will receive training on weather forecasting and climate systems under an initiative to boost their contribution and action in combating climate change.

The We are All Jordan Youth Commission launched the Friends of the Jordan Meteorological Department Initiative on Sunday in celebration of World Meteorological Day, annually marked on March 23.

“We announce the new initiative to raise the awareness of the public, particularly the younger generation, on weather forecasting and meteorology,” said Raed Nsour, a representative of the commission.

“In addition, we seek to provide assistance to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) and engage young people in weather and climate issues,” he added.

The initiative was launched in a ceremony held by the JMD and the Ministry of Transport to mark World Meteorological Day, celebrated this year under the theme “Weather and climate: engaging youth”.

JMD Director General Mohammad Samawi noted at the event that engaging young Jordanians in meteorology seeks to raise their awareness of the challenges and risks resulting from weather phenomena and climate change.

“Today’s youths will benefit from the dramatic advances being made in our ability to understand and forecast the Earth’s weather and climate. At the same time, most of them will live into the second half of this century and experience the increasing impacts of global warming,” Samawi said.

He added that World Meteorological Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the entry into force in 1950 of the convention that created the World Meteorological Organisation, and it also highlights the huge contribution that national meteorological and hydrological services make to ensure the safety and well-being of society.

The JMD provides forecasts on weather conditions across the Kingdom via 40 meteorological directorates and stations around the country, according to Samawi. He noted that the JMD’s weather reports are 90 per cent accurate as the department uses state-of-the-art information reception, transmission and analysis systems.

AMMAN —The Lower House Legal Committee on Sunday questioned the first witness in its investigation into a suspected corruption case involving an MP who tried to acquire a plot of state-owned land in the Dead Sea area at a cost below the market price.

Abdul Munim Odat, who heads the committee, told the press after the meeting that other witnesses will testify before the panel.

Last month, the Lower House tasked its Legal Committee with examining the case following a heated discussion over the issue.

The matter was raised during a Lower House session just one day after Maha Khatib, the chief commissioner of the Development and Free Zones Commission (DFZC), submitted her resignation.

Khatib, who was appointed to the post four months ago, reportedly accused the government of exerting pressure on her to transfer ownership of the state-owned land to Deputy Mohammed Saudi, head of the Lower House Finance Committee, at a price less than the market rate.

However, in previous remarks, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour denied the allegations, saying “it was the DFZC which set the price for this land in the first place.”

Saudi called for referring the case to the relevant parliamentary committee to review and provide its recommendations.

He accused “those who head official agencies” of being “unable to handle their duties properly and creating obstacles for any investment”.

Saudi said he had plans to build a hotel on a 40-dunum plot of land near the Dead Sea in 2005, when he was not an MP.

However, he claimed that a former high-ranking army officer illegally appropriated the land, preventing him and his firm, Al Sanabil for Tourism Investments, from proceeding with the project.

The MP added that he requested to buy the land in 2013.

Several MPs questioned the government about the issue, demanding a clear answer.

Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani told deputies at the time that “the Cabinet postponed looking into the issue, pending further studies to determine a fair price for the land.”

The DFZC decided to set the price at JD75,000 per dunum, according to a document it sent to the prime minister’s office, Momani added.

However, at a Cabinet meeting she attended, Khatib told the Council of Ministers that the price was JD200,000 per dunum, which led to postponing the Cabinet decision, the spokesperson explained.

The government accepted Khatib’s resignation after she insisted on her stance on this issue.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Sunday endorsed a plan that seeks to regulate the usage of plots of land on the Amman-Zarqa highway that were used by the phosphate company in the 1990s for mining purposes.

Municipal Affairs Minister Walid Masri said a technical committee with representatives from different public institutions, which was formed in 2011, recommended that the land be used for different purposes by the Greater Amman Municipality and Ruseifa Municipality.

At a press conference on Sunday evening, Masri told reporters that 1,555 dunums of this land will be used for development purposes.

As part of the plan, the Amman Car Auction Park, which is currently near the Sports City, will be moved to that area, while another section of it will be turned into a race track.

In addition, part of the land will be under the authority of Ruseifa city in Zarqa Governorate to be used for investment purposes and public parks.

During the hour-long press conference, Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that the shipping sector has incurred substantial losses due to the Syrian crisis, witnessing a 42 per cent drop in revenues.

The land transport sector alone has suffered annual losses in revenues estimated at JD17 million, Momani added.

He also announced the endorsement of several bills and bylaws, such as regulations on the use of Royal family photos, which prohibits using them for commercial purposes or to campaign for elections. 

The Council of Ministers also endorsed a bylaw that allows the Ministry of Health to provide transport services for public sector nurses, in addition to amendments to the Judicial Council by-law that stipulates the immediate appointment of graduates of the Future Judges programmes based on current vacancies.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the mandating reasons for a draft law that stipulates the establishment of an association for mosque imams.

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s imports of fuel derivatives and electricity have increased by 46.6 per cent to JD418,8 million during January 2014 compared with JD285,5 million during the same period last year, according to a Department of Statistics report published on Sunday. The report attributed the rise in energy bill to the increase in diesel imports to JD155,8 million during the first month of this year compared with JD29,9 million during the same period in 2013 and the over-reliance on fuel oil to generate electricity due to the decline in natural gas imports. According to the report, the value of fuel oil during January 2014 reached JD31.5 million while no amount of the substance has been imported during the same period last year. Jordan’s imports of natural gas have reached JD11,5 million in January, 2014 compared with JD17,3 million during the same period last year, according to the report.   

AMMAN — The police have recently arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a man in his 30s, the Public Security Department (PSD) said on Saturday.

A body was found in Balqa’s Safout area around a week ago, and the forensic report indicated that the victim died of internal bleeding after being hit in the back of the head with a blunt object.

Further investigation into the incident led to the perpetrator, who confessed to hitting the victim during a fight over personal issues, the PSD said.

WASHINGTON — US Special Envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein is visiting Turkey, France and Jordan between March 20 and 30 during which he will meet with “members of the Syrian opposition, government officials and Syrian activists”, according to an announcement by the US Department of State.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday evening, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said Rubinstein’s mission and his consultations will be vital at a time when Washington is working to support the moderate opposition in the face of rising extremism.

She said the US is still committed to the Geneva process and all diplomatic efforts seeking to arrive at a political solution.

Rubinstein, succeeds Robert Ford who retired from US foreign service last month.

ZARQA — The Civil Defence Department (CDD) on Saturday extinguished a fire that erupted at a garment store in Hitteen Refugee Camp, according to the Ruseifa Police Department.

CDD personnel contained the blaze, which caused material damage, as most of the merchandise was destroyed, but there were no injuries.