US President Barack Obama listens as Jordan’s King Abdullah speaks during a joint news conference at Al Hummar Palace in Amman, yesterday.
AMMAN: US President Barack Obama announced in Amman yesterday an aid package of $200m for Jordan to help the kingdom care for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
Obama told a joint news conference with King Abdullah II that he would ask the US Congress to provide the funds as “budget support” for Jordan to provide for the refugees who the monarch said now numbered more than 460,000.
Obama arrived in Jordan yesterday to face scrutiny over his Syria strategy, on the last leg of a Middle East tour after challenging Israelis to embrace peace with Palestinians.
The presidential aircraft landed at Queen Alia Airport near Amman at 1445 GMT, and Obama was welcomed by Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and other senior officials.
He headed to the royal palace for talks and a private dinner with King Abdullah II, a key US ally, on the agony of Syria’s conflict in Jordan, which hosts more than 450,000 refugees from the war-torn country.AFP
