Germany offers €25m aid to Jordan

German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Muller announced Monday that his country pledged additional 25 million euros in aid of the water sector and the Syria refugees in Jordan. He made the announcement during his meeting with Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ibrahim Said, according to a statement by the Jordanian Ministry. Out of the total funds, 15 million euros will be used in financing the rehabilitation of the water sector and the remaining ten million euros will be channeled for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help Jordan address the increasing number of Syrian refugees. The two ministers reviewed Jordan's plan for improving the public services in the communities hosting Syrian refugees as well as the financial and technical assistance Germany could offer, the statement said. The minister Said briefed his guest on the economic and financial situations in Jordan and the burdens shouldered by his government as a result of regional turmoil. For his part, Muller said Germany considers Jordan a special development partner and appreciated Jordan's efforts to accommodate the large numbers of Syrian refugees. Germany had initially contributed 88.6 million euros to Jordan's development program for 2012-2014 aimed at improving the infrastructure and the energy sector, besides 74.55 million euros last year.