By NNN-Petra
Amman : The US government has pledged to provides $153 million in humanitarian assistance to displaced Iraqis in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and inside Iraq.
"These contributions support international and host country efforts to educate Iraqi children, provide primary health care services and sustain protection, registration, legal assistance and resettlement activities for displaced Iraqis," said a statement issued by the US Embassy in Amman.
U.S. support includes contributing $37 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) appeals for Iraqi refugees, which represents 30% of the total $123.7 million UNHCR appeals. The UNHCR intends to program $27.9 million in Jordan.
It also provides funding to non-governmental organization partner projects for $12.8 million including $6.7 million in Jordan to support humanitarian assistance, healthcare, and non-formal education programs.
It contributes $18.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross in support of its programs in the Near East.
The US aid also covers U.S Agency for International Development USAID/Jordan programming for $10.3 million in partnership with the Government of Jordan on education and health programs to support the increased needs resulting from the additional Iraqi population in Jordan. In addition it offers $65 million in support of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) efforts to protect internally displaced Iraqis, according to the statement.
At Thursday’s meeting for countries hosting displaced Iraqis, US Ambassador in Amman David Hale recognized that the displacement of many Iraqis to neighboring countries not only represents a humanitarian crisis for Iraq and Iraqis, but also has a strong and deep impact on neighboring countries now hosting displaced Iraqis, said the statement.
The United States encourages other donors to assist the United Nations and neighboring countries that continue to host and provide much-needed social services to many displaced Iraqis, the statement concluded.
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