AMMAN — Total foreign assistance committed to Jordan in the first half of 2021 reached about $301 million, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation disclosed on Sunday.

 

This support includes regular grants, concessional loans, support for regional projects and additional grants to support the Jordan Response Plan (JRP), the national response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

 

The ministry in a statement announced that the grants totalled $265 million, while the concessional loans reached $36 million.

 

The majority of foreign aid has been directed to the water sector, to enhance economic growth, support the General Budget and to address the pandemic's impacts, notably those related to the health sector.

 

The foreign aid also helps strengthen social protection and maintain jobs through supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in addition to supporting the justice sector and good governance measures.

 

About 70 per cent of the grant is used through the General Budget, which shows the donors’ confidence in the national systems, the statement cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said. 

 

The ministry projected this year’s foreign assistance to maintain last year’s level of $4 billion. 

 

This year's assistance is projected to include $2 billion as regular and additional grants to support the water, health and social protection sectors. 

 

The amount also includes $1.18 billion in grants to support the General Budget and implement capital projects.

 

The expected aid also includes $2 billion in concessional loans to support the General Budget, as well as the health sector, mainly to purchase new vaccines and medical supplies, and for social protection measures and implement priority projects in the water sector and support SMEs.