Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The United States has given Jordan 100,000 tonnes of wheat as part of broader aid to help its Middle Eastern ally cushion the impact of Syrian refugees on its economy, U.S. officials said on Sunday.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who signed the deal, valued at around $25 million, said the kingdom would be able to sell some of the wheat in the domestic market and use part of the proceeds to implement projects to boost its agricultural sector.

The rest could be used to build up Jordan's stockpile of grains, Vilsack said.

"USDA food assistance will be used to relieve some of the economic burden that Jordan is facing as a result of the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have been displaced because of the Syrian civil war," he told reporters.

Jordan says the presence of over 600,000 Syrian refugees has put huge strain on an economy already facing severe fiscal strains and burdened with debt.

Jordan's public debt has soared to $29.3 billion at the end of February from around $14 billion at the end of 2010.

Washington has stepped up economic assistance to the kingdom in recent years and is now giving around $1 billion in annual aid, according to Jordanian officials.


*Reuters