The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Government of Japan extends additional support to Syrian refugees in Jordan
Four new fully equipped paramedic ambulances and two light vehicles were donated by the Government of Japan to Jordan’s Ministry of the Interior at a handover ceremony on 5 October.
The ambulances and vehicles are destined for Azraq Refugee Camp and surrounding host communities, in support of two projects being implemented by UNOPS, in partnership with Jordan’s Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate (SRAD) and Civil Defense Directorate (CD).
These additional vehicles will help continue to provide humanitarian and emergency response services in the country, which currently hosts 1.4 million Syrians, of which 629,266 are registered refugees.
“This donation from the people and Government of Japan is in recognition of the basic human need to access health services,” said HE Mr. Shuichi Sakurai, Japanese Ambassador to Jordan, during the handover ceremony in Amman.
The ceremony was hosted by Jordan’s Minister of Interior, HE Salameh Hammad, and attended by Ambassador Sakurai; Director of the CD, Talal Al-Kofahi; Director of the Public Security Directorate, Atef Al-Saudi; Director of SRAD, Dr. Waddah M. Hmoud; and the Director of the UNOPS Office in Amman, Ms. Bana Kaloti.
There, Minister Hammad stressed the importance of the international community's continuing support to Jordan, which has helped the country to receive and accommodate so many Syrian refugees, in addition to providing them with health, education, security and humanitarian services.
In 2014, the Government of Japan funded the construction of civil defense facilities in Za’atari Refugee Camp, the country’s largest, which was implemented by UNOPS. In 2015, Japan provided more than 40 vehicles and CCTV equipment, essential for maintaining security and safety in Azraq Refugee Camp.
“We are grateful for the partnership with the Government of Japan and for the trust they have placed in UNOPS to deliver this life-saving assistance. We recognize the importance of supporting the capacities of the Government of Jordan to respond to the impact of the Syrian crisis and to provide services to the Syrian refugees; and we remain committed to continue to work together with our partners with this in mind,” said Ms. Bana Kaloti.
