A refugee camp on the border of Jordan and Syria. AP
A refugee camp on the border of Jordan and Syria. AP
A refugee camp on the border of Jordan and Syria. AP
A refugee camp on the border of Jordan and Syria. AP

Jordan seeks UK help to meet needs of Syrian refugees


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

The UK is under pressure from Jordan to step up its funding for Syrian refugees as charity donations dry up during the pandemic.

Amman’s ambassador in London, Omar Al Nahar, said 261,000 Syrians in his country faced cuts in humanitarian assistance by September.

The appeal to Britain comes with the UK government under pressure over cuts to its aid budget.

Mr Al Nahar said the World Food Programme was poised to cut assistance to Jordan, and that Unicef was struggling to carry out water and sanitation work.

The WFP said this month that it was $58 million short of the funds it needed to continue food assistance.

It is feared Unicef services could be shut down completely by September if further donations fail to come through.

Jordan hosts more than half a million refugees and the cuts are “undermining public health and security” in migrant camps, the ambassador said.

“Further donations are required as a matter of urgency,” he said in a letter to Sarah Champion, the chairwoman of the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee.

“Without these additional resources and the full commitment of the International Community, many more refugees will be impacted.”

The UK should “review its financial support” of the humanitarian agencies affected by the funding cuts, he said.

Jordan’s appeal to the UK has been put before Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. EPA
Jordan’s appeal to the UK has been put before Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. EPA

UK aid cuts

Ms Champion, a member the opposition Labour Party, is seeking answers on the issue from UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

She is demanding to know whether the UK’s aid cuts will affect the refugees living in Jordan, most of whom are from Syria.

Britain announced in November that it was setting aside its target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid.

The commitment was reduced to 0.5 per cent in a cut ministers blamed on the financial pressures of the pandemic.

The government said the reduction was temporary and the 0.7 per cent threshold would be restored when the financial situation improves.

The move has been criticised by former UK prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair.

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Updated: June 29, 2021, 4:50 PM`