German grant to fund water supply for displaced Syrians

Jordan will soon receive a grant from the German Development Bank (KfW) to provide water for Syrians in the country, especially in the northern region, a senior official said on Wednesday.

"We asked the KfW for urgent assistance... as pressure on our limited water resources increased sharply," Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar told reporters in a press conference.

"Not only has demand on water increased, but so have complaints from citizens in the northern region about water supply disruptions," Najjar said.

"There are more than 120,000 Syrians in Jordan, the majority of them are in the northern region, and we were not prepared to provide this number with water," the minister noted, adding that the grant will be used to rehabilitate water wells, buy water tankers and the necessary equipment.

"An expert from the KfW is assessing the situation and we will soon receive the grant," he added.

"People have started complaining about not receiving water. There is huge pressure on our resources and we are doing our best to provide water for everyone," Najjar said, noting that the northern governorates' share of water is the lowest compared to other governorates in the country.

The minister also said that Jordan received a JD1.8 million grant from UNICEF to be able to supply water to Syrians in the Kingdom and meet the rising demand for water, especially in the northern region.

Sawsan Aruri, deputy director of the KfW in Amman, said increasing demand for water is a major challenge facing the government, adding that the German government's support to Jordan over the past few years focused mainly on the water sector.

She noted that the bank will support new water projects in the Kingdom that entail reducing water loss, using treated water for irrigating crops and building treatment plants.

According to Aruri, a series of projects worth 250 million euros supported by the bank are being implemented in Jordan in the water sector.

Also on Wednesday, the ministry announced the signing of an agreement with a local company to implement a project that entails constructing pipelines connecting Um Al Lulu water plant to Jerash and Houfa aquifer in Irbid to Ajloun.

The project also entails rehabilitating water networks in Mafraq, Jerash and Ajloun.