Britain pledges £100 million for Syrian refugees and host countries

The UK has pledged a further £100 million ($154 million) in aid for Syrian refugees and the countries hosting them, a statement by the British embassy in Amman said on Tuesday.

The embassy said the announcement was made by International Development Secretary Justine Greening on 2 July.

“The assistance cements the UK’s position as one of the largest donors worldwide in providing support to those whose lives have been affected by the war in Syria,” the statement read.

“In Jordan, the UK is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jordanian communities that are so generously hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees,” it added.

“This announcement shows that the UK is partnering with Jordan in the long term to help maintain its resilience. This year alone we will be spending more than £70 million [$110 million] in Jordan, helping improve school facilities in Jordanian communities, supporting small businesses to grow and provide jobs, providing shelter and health care in refugee communities, and strengthening the provision of essential services like clean water.”

The statement stressed that “investing in service provision, education, jobs and resilience in Jordan is clearly in Britain’s interests,” adding that instability in Jordan would inevitably affect the UK.