Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The UN and local bodies will be implementing a project to help Syrian refugees and Jordanian families in the agricultural field. The aim is to lighten an increasingly heavy burden felt by Amman as a result of a large refugee population and the resulting strain on its social infrastructure.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched a $1 million project in Jordan to support Syrian refugees and Jordanian families affected by the political crisis, reports the Petra news agency.


Joint implementation to achieve aims for crisis response

The project, which is being implemented by the Rome-based FAO office in Jordan in cooperation with Jordan's Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), targets 500 Jordanian and Syrian families in the governorates of Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa.

"The initiative helps achieve objectives of the Jordanian response plan for the Syrian crisis 2017-2019, the national strategy for agricultural development 2016-2025 and the partnership plan between the international organization and the Jordanian government 2017-2022," reported Petra. UN officials say the project aims to improve the living standards of the selected Jordanian and Syrian refugee families.Technologies will be integrated into the agricultural industry and small and medium-sized enterprises in the agriculture sector will be launched.

Amman 'unable to cope' with its large refugee burden

Jordan has been seeking international help to provide aid for its growing refugee population, since the government says it is unable to cope with pressure on its social infrastructure. The kingdom is home to more than 1.3 million Syrians, many of whom are living outside refugee camps.

*ANSA