Jordan: Water Ministry says it lacks funding despite promised aid

AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation only secured 19 per cent of funds required to sustain water and wastewater services to Syrian refugees and local communities hosting them this year, a senior government official said on Sunday 1 July 2017.

A total of $220 million has been allocated for this year's water and wastewater projects, under the 2015-2017 Jordan Response Plan for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Nasser said.

"… However, until today, the ministry has only received 44 million dollars of the allocated funds for this year. This is affecting the level of services provided to host communities, as well as to Syrian refugees," Nasser told reporters during a press meeting.

In 2016, a total of $275 million were allocated to the ministry under the plan, dubbed by ministry officials  as "a resilience plan for the water sector".