Minister Roderic O'Gorman and Irish Delegation visit to Jordan
News
30 November 2021
HE Minister Roderic O'Gorman with HE Dr Vincent O'Neill in a meeting with UNHCR at Za'tari Camp
Minister O’Gorman visited Jordan with a delegation from his Department from November 13th-15th 2021. In the course of his visit he had excellent bilateral discussions with HE Mr Ayman Riad Saeid Almuli, Minister for Social Development and with HE Mr Nasser Shraideh, Minister for Planning and International Cooperation.
In the course of these discussions, the Minister was appraised of the challenges faced by the Jordanian Government consequent to the stagnation of the economy and the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic. Discussions focused also on the difficulties in responding to the multiple needs of refugees, hosted by Jordan, in a context of declining financial contributions by many countries and international partners.
The Minister was appraised of areas where Ireland is providing assistance to Jordan – in response to the refugee crisis, the resettlement of refugees in Ireland, cooperation in the area of disability and of education.
On Sunday the 13th of November, the Minister visited the UNHCR Refugee Registration Centre in Amman, and received an overview of the centre’s work. He met officials from the Irish Refugee Resettlement Programme who are currently in Amman preparing for the resettlement of over 300 Syrian refugees to Ireland, early in 2021.
A highlight of the Ministers schedule was a visit to Zaa’tari Refugee Camp near the Jordan Syria border. In the course of this visit, he met with the Government and UNHCR officials involved in administrating the camp operations; he visited a camp Community Centre; he visited the home of a refugee family and he visited the world’s largest solar power plant in a refugee camp.
Prior to his departure for Ireland, the Minister visited the new Embassy of Ireland Chancery where he met with Embassy staff, planted a tree and launched the Embassy of Ireland, Amman Green Embassy initiative.
