Middle East News
Jordan's king meets Guterres, pledges continued hosting of Iraqis
Feb 12, 2008, 16:57 GMT
Amman - King Abdullah II conferred Tuesday with the visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and pledged that Jordan would continue to host hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees until security conditions allowed them to return to their country.
'Despite challenges facing us, Jordan will continue to host the Iraqi brethren until suitable conditions develop in their country in such a manner that permits their return,' a royal court statement quoted the monarch as saying.
'The only way to resolve the problem of Iraqi refugees lies in the maintenance of security inside Iraq and ensuring the suitable climate for their safe return to their country,' the king added.
A survey conducted last year by the Norwegian research foundation, Fafo, at the behest of the UNHCR, put the number of Iraqis in Jordan at between 450,000 and 500,000.
A least two million Iraqis took refuge in Jordan, Syria and Egypt in the wake of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
Guterres also discussed the living conditions of Iraqis in Jordan with Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, who underscored the economic burdens Jordan was incurring as a result of hosting this large number of Iraqis.
Planning Minister Suhair al-Ali estimated that over the past three years the Iraqis cost Jordan's infrastructure as well as educational and health facilities about 1.6 billion dinars (2.26 billion dollars).
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