Safadi, Danish Refugee Council SG talk Syrian refugee support

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and the Secretary-General of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Charlotte Slente, met in Amman, on Tuesday, for talks on Syrian refugees. Safadi and Slente discussed the Council's efforts to support Syrian refugees in Jordan and the "strong" partnership between the Kingdom and the Council, which opened its regional office in Jordan in 2003. Safadi warned of the "significant" decline in international support to Syrian refugees and the services and assistance provided to them by international organisations in Jordan. He said, "Jordan will not be able to fill the gap in providing this aid and services, which will hurt the refugees and their living conditions," adding that the international community is responsible for supporting Syrian refugees. Safadi said over 1.3 million Syrian refugees live in Jordan, 90 per cent of whom live outside refugee camps, adding that Syrian refugees enjoy free education, health services and work permits. He added that the Kingdom could not keep pro viding aid that UN organisations had stopped because of decreased international support. Safadi explained that the solution to the refugee issue would be through repatriation, which requires more efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and create conditions that would allow the voluntary return of refugees. He added, "Jordan will continue to make every possible effort and work with brothers and partners to solve the Syrian crisis that ends the suffering of the Syrian people, preserves Syria's unity, cohesion and sovereignty, rids it of terrorism and provides the conditions for the voluntary return of refugees." Source: Jordan News Agency