Ammon News - Only $781 million of Jordan’s $2.249 billion response plan to the Syrian crisis (Jordan Response Plan "JRP") was made available by the international community during the past year, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation announced on Monday.

With only 34.7 per cent, or $781 million of the plan’s total 2020 requirements financed, the deficit now stands at $1.468 billion or 65.3 per cent of total needs, the ministry added in a breakdown of last year’s figures.

The amount secured was used to support refugees ($233 million), host communities ($195 million), while an amount of $353 million was channeled to the state’s budget; a new component added to the plan this year.

The data indicated that the Infrastructure and Institutional Capacity Building Component received no funding in 2020.

Moreover, the amount of $225 million needed for the Jordan Response Information System for the Syria Crisis (JORISS), an online system administered by the ministry to manage the information related to partnership and funds disbursement for all projects/programs under the plan, was made available in the past year.

Other items for which funding was secured include "additional funding ($118 million)" and "bilateral agreements ($63 million)" while "the UN direct implementation" item received no funding.

The United States was the largest financier of the plan with $382 million followed by Germany which provided a $110-million grant, the data revealed.

The financial requirements of the 2020-2022 JRP totals $6.6 billion, according to government figures.

In 2019, only 50.4 per cent or $1.2 billion of that year’s $2.4 billion funding needs were secured, leaving a deficit of $1.1 billion.

The Ministry of Planning has begun updating the 2021-2023 JRP in coordination with the international community, with the aim of reducing the economic burdens imposed on the Kingdom due to the refugee crisis and the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.