German official praises Jordan’s refugee efforts

Jordan's efforts to provide refuge for displaced Syrians deserve "appreciation and continued support”, a German official said Wednesday. During a two-day visit to Jordan, Markus Loening, German government commissioner for human rights policy and humanitarian aid, toured the Zaatari Camp for Syrian refugees near Mafraq, 80km northeast of Amman, and a transit facility for Syrians in Ramtha, 90km north of the capital. A German embassy statement issued on Wednesday said Loening also met with HRH Prince Rashid, chairman of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh as well as officials from local, national and international relief organisations. "Besides the wish to get his own take on the situation, the core objective of Mr Loening’s visit was to see where there is further need for support to Jordan with regard to Syrians in the country and for the different organisations on the ground," the statement said. The German official "had the opportunity to speak to a number of Syrians affected by the conflict" in their country. “It is moving for me to see the commitment of the Jordanian people vis-à-vis the Syrians, as they are willing to give them shelter and offer voluntary support and medical treatment,” the statement quoted Loening as saying. So far, Germany has provided more than 11 million euros in humanitarian aid related to the crisis in Syria, of which more than two million went to Jordan, the statement said. "To support the general development of Jordan in challenging times, Germany is considering increasing its financial and technical assistance offered within the development cooperation programmes in place between both countries [for] many decades," the statement added. From jordantimes