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AMMAN — Two portable wastewater treatment units will be operational at the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Mafraq Governorate before the start of summer, officials said on Tuesday.

The mobile units will be installed by June to process 3,500 cubic metres of wastewater per day, which is the current amount of sewage generated daily at the camp, Water Minister Hazem Nasser said.

He made the remarks at the signing of an agreement on the procurement and installation of the mobile treatment units, where he added that the units are important to prevent the contamination of the Zaatari aquifer, located beneath the camp, some 90km northeast of Amman.

Under the agreement, a membrane biological reactor will be installed with the capacity to treat 1,760 cubic metres of wastewater per day, in addition to trickling filters with the capacity to treat another 1,760 cubic metres of wastewater each day. Both units will be built to serve 55,000 people each, according to the ministry.

“The units will be installed at a cost of $6 million and are funded by UNICEF,” Nasser said.

Installing the two portable wastewater treatment units has three goals, the minister said, noting that the first purpose is to treat generated wastewater at the site to prevent the aquifer’s pollution and improve sanitation conditions at the camp.

“The second goal is to reduce the number of wastewater tankers travelling between the camp and Ikeider Landfill, where the wastewater is dumped. This will end noise pollution caused by the tankers for area residents and also reduce pressure on the landfill,” Nasser added.

The third goal for installing the units is to utilise the treated wastewater for the irrigation of fodder, according to the minister.

“At least 1,000 dunums will be planted with fodder crops to support local communities hosting refugees in raising and sustaining their livestock,” Nasser said, underscoring that the technology of the two portable wastewater treatment units will be applied for the first time in Jordan.

Two similar units will be installed at the refugee camp in Azraq, east of the country, once funding for the units is secured, according to Water Authority of Jordan Secretary General Tawfik Habashneh.

Deputy representative and officer in charge of UNICEF Jordan, Michele Servadei, said at the signing ceremony that the project in Zaatari is “the peak of the organisation’s cooperation with the ministry”.

Servadei said the project seeks to ensure stabilisation at the camp and do more for communities hosting Syrian refugees.

According to UNHCR figures, the Zaatari camp is currently home to 92,000 people.

The number of registered refugees who entered Jordan since the beginning of the crisis has reached 600,000, of whom 80 per cent reside among host communities across the Kingdom, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

AMMAN — The passion of Jordanians towards education inspires Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who has said that the teaching process in Jordan is based on collaboration between teachers and students.

“What I noticed is that the teacher is not a dictator who only gives details to his students. The process is based on cooperation between students and their educators,” Yousafzai said at a discussion with students of the Jubilee School in Amman on Monday.

The 16-year-old education activist, who survived an assassination attempt in 2012 while she was on her way to school, said she was “happy” to learn that around 98 per cent of children in Jordan go to school.

“When I look to your passion to education, it inspires me and inspires all children all over the world,” she told students and the teaching staff at the Jubilee School.

The activist visited the school to engage in a discussion with students as part of the school’s comprehensive Leadership Programme, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

Each year, the school hosts a number of global and local leaders to allow students to benefit from their unique experiences, the statement said.

Despite Yousafzai’s young age, she is an international figure who has inspired millions and heavily impacted global policy making related to human rights and girls’ right to safety and education, the statement added.

Yousafzai also shared her story with the students.

“Having a gun would mean that you are scared. In my opinion, pens and books are more powerful than guns,” she said, stressing that people should believe in their abilities.

“Trust yourself and believe in yourself because you do not know what you will be in the future. You can be a great footballer or a great movie star or a teacher or a doctor; just trust yourself,” Yousafzai added.

“Try to understand your skills because you do not have to be a doctor. Do what you want and contribute to your society.”

The Pakistani activist thanked the Jordanian government for being committed to ensuring the education of all children.

She also commended Jordan’s efforts towards Syrian refugees.

“When I saw Syrian refugees in Jordan, I felt that Jordan is a symbol of hospitality. It shows a message to the whole world that human beings should love each other and help each other, and I think that everyone should learn from you.”

Students interviewed by The Jordan Times expressed their enthusiasm over meeting Yousafzai.

Maria Rusan, a 16-year-old student, said she did not know about the young activist’s story before she met her at the school.

“Her story is really interesting and I am going to read more about her experience. Her story inspired me a lot,” she added.

Rand Thunibat, 16, felt proud that Yousafzai was impressed by Jordanians’ passion towards education.

“We have to thank our government for its support to education. Now, there are a great number of schools in the Kingdom,” she added.

Rusan stressed that there is no difference in education between east and west Amman.

“Education does not depend on multimedia tools; it depends on students’ enthusiasm towards education,” she added.

Meanwhile, on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Noor, chairperson of the King Hussein Foundation (KHF) and King Hussein Foundation International, KHF board member Adnan Badran announced on Monday the selection of Malala as the winner of the King Hussein Leadership Prize 2012, according to the statement.

The King Hussein Leadership Prize is an international award presented to individuals, institutions and groups who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in promoting sustainable development, human rights, equity and peace.

The prize’s nominating committee chose Yousafzai for her consistent courage in challenging ignorance, injustice and the oppression of women, Badran said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

AMMAN — The number of tourists who visited the Kingdom in 2013 witnessed a 14 per cent decrease compared to a year earlier, according to official figures.

An official report issued in response to a query by The Jordan Times showed that 5,388,917 tourists visited Jordan in 2013, a drop from 6,314,250 in 2012.

Figures showed that there was a 32.9 per cent drop in the number of same-day visitors, with 1,443,557 tourists coming to the country last year, compared with 2,151,883 in 2012.

There also was a 5.2 per cent drop in the number of overnight visitors in 2013, when 3,495,360 tourists came to Jordan, compared with 4,162,367 tourists a year before.

The regional turmoil is still the main reason to blame for the drop in the number of overall visitors to the Kingdom, according to Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, director general of the Jordan Tourism Board.

Arabiyat noted that the number of European tourists was lower than in previous years due to the impact of the economic crisis, citing figures issued by the UN World Tourism Organisation.

He said 80 per cent of European tourists travelled within the European zone, while only 20 per cent of tourists travelled to other continents.

Jordan, Arabiyat said, should offer more for Arab tourists to attract more visitors from the region.

“We need to provide more to the Arab market, and work on entertainment activities and family attractions to encourage tourists to extend their stay,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Only 671,599 Europeans visited Jordan last year, a 12.5 per cent drop compared to 2012, according to the figures.

Arab tourists topped the list of visitors to the Kingdom last year, with 3,083,848 visitors.

The majority of Arab tourists were from Saudi Arabia, standing at 1,079,361 visitors.