Jordan: Cost of hosting Syrian refugees hits $2.1bn

Jordan on Monday said the cost of hosting Syrian refugees in the country stands at about 2.1 billion U.S. dollars per year and the volume is expected to rise to 3.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 as more refugees flee into Jordan. Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ibrahim Seif said Monday there is a need for increased aid by the international community to Jordan to help in providing services to the Syrian refugees. "The Syrian crisis is one of the most pressing challenges Jordan is facing at all levels, especially in the economic level," said the minister at the opening of a conference for UN organizations and donor countries in Amman. He added that about 600,000 Syrian refugees in the country place pressure on the country's infrastructure and resources including the health and education sectors.