Amman: Jordan has warned against the noticeable decline in international support extended to refugees in the Middle East and the related UN institutions.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made the remarks at a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi in Amman, where he stressed the need for mobilizing joint action to provide a decent life for refugees and help host countries shoulder the burden of hosting them, reports Xinhua news agency.
Safadi praised the solid partnership between Jordan and UNHCR to present necessary services to about 1.3 million Syrians residing in Jordan, of which only 10 percent live in refugee camps, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
He also underlined the role of UNHCR in supporting refugees and maintaining their cause on the international agenda.
The two sides agreed to intensify efforts to rally international support for refugees.
For his part, the UN official commended Jordan’s role in hosting and providing Syrian refugees with needed health and education services.
Also on Sunday, Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh discussed with Grandi the prospects of cooperation between Jordan and UN agencies providing humanitarian and relief services to Syrian refugees, the state-run Petra news agency reported.
King Abdullah II of Jordan received Grandi on Sunday and underlined the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards host countries, especially in light of challenges related to global food security, according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.
According to the UN, Jordan now hosts some 675,000 registered refugees from Syria, who began fleeing in 2011 when the crisis in their country brought unimaginable suffering on its citizens.
Most Syrian refugees in Jordan live in its towns and villages, among local communities.
Only 17 per cent live in the two main refugee camps, Za’atari and Azraq.
–IANS
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