AMMAN: Canada on Sunday pledged 25m Canadian dollars ($24.58m) to Jordan to help the kingdom cope with the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled there, state media reported.
“Following a meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird announced today a direct assistance of $25m to the government help the refugees,” state-run Petra news agency said.
“Baird said Canada will give Jordan 75m Canadian dollars in humanitarian aid over the coming two or three years,” the agency said without giving further details.
It quoted Baird as saying his country “will stand by Jordan, particularly while the kingdom continues to receive more Syrian refugees”.
Jordan, which says it is hosting more than 500,000 Syrian refugees, has repeatedly called for aid, complaining that limited resources are hampering its ability to cope with the crisis.
King Abdullah II of Jordan told a university graduation ceremony on Sunday that Amman is “working to secure international financial assistance to cover the costs of hosting the refugees”.AFP
