Jordan warns it can no longer cope with rising Syrian refugee population

Jordan is concerned about the negative repercussions of the ongoing influx of Syrian refugees into the Kingdom where many stay in cities and towns affecting services to local communities, an official source said Sunday. Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Culture Minister Samih Maaytah said that more than 200,000 refugees currently live in residential areas across the Kingdom, putting additional pressures on energy, health, education and other sectors. Such a situation, he warned, would deprive the local population of their already meagre share of resources. In remarks to Petra, Maaytah, who is also the government's official spokesperson, said that lack of a clear political plan for ending the Syrian crisis in the foreseeable future makes it harder to deal with the daily influx of refugees. He also referred to the absence of a vision by the international community to address the plight of refugees, urging all humanitarian organizations to provide Jordan with financial and in-kind assistance to help it overcome the negative impact of the large number of refugees. A total of more than 425,000 Syrians have fled to the Kingdom, the minister said, adding that the country cannot alone take the burden of hosting them without a clear approach by world countries to address the refugee crisis.