International assistance to the Kingdom of Jordan

Aldaghestani Wesam Saheb Assistant, the department of Humanistic Sociology, People’s University of Friendship of Russia 117929, Iordaniya, g. Moscow, ul. Dimitria Ulianova, 24 wisam_s_d@yahoo.com

International assistance to the kingdom of Jordan

Abstract. This article discusses the issues of providing assistance to foreign countries and international organizations to the Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan is in the grip of the Syrian crisis, which is reflected in the arrival of a significant number of refugees. Many of them affect the deterioration of the economic situation and security in the state. Some of the assistance that Jordan has received is actually from the GCC countries that played key role in aiding Jordan during the local protests. King Abdulla the Jordanian leader has stated clearly that some of the Arabian neighboring countries as well as international actors are using the kingdom's financial crises in order to put more pressure on the Jordanian leader and government to change the Jordanian political views regarding some essential issues in the region.

Keywords: Syrian crisis, assistance to Jordan, international financing, economic crisis, Gulf Cooperation council, foreign countries, international organizations, local protests, international Aid, American assistance.

Jordan is a small, young state that gained independence in 1946, with a population of just over 6.5 million. Jordan has historically fought for a geopolitical place in the regional and international arenas, which forces it to «box in a higher weight category than its own»^[1].

The eight-year Syrian crisis can be divided into two stages: before the decisive military intervention of Russia in September 2015 and after the Russian military-space forces launched operations in Syria. It allowed restoring the control over most of the lost territories, destroying the military infrastructure of ISIS and other terrorist groupings.

Today, the Syrian crisis has affected Jordan. It is manifested in the economic crisis, riots, and many Syrian refugees. The Kingdom hopes for the support of the West, but at the same time seeks partnership with international organizations, various world centers, among which Russia remains.

For example, King Abdullah II attended a summit in Saudi Arabia, where he met with leaders from Kuwait and the UAE, where they solving the problem of the economic crisis.

Previously, foreign assistance covered up to half of Jordan's budget deficit. Funding for the construction of highways, hospitals and decrepit infrastructure by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates helped to cope with the crisis at that stage^[1]. The European Union also believes that Jordan needs economic support, said EU Foreign Policy Director Federica Mogherini.

The plight of Jordan is not limited only to the economic crisis, the situation in the country is also influenced by some military aspects, and threats to sovereignty from the outside, threats are posed from unsystematic actors, from terrorist groups. Internal and external challenges are intertwined and closely interdependent.

The limited natural resources made the country economically vulnerable and dependent on foreign aid, which means, that it was extremely constrained in the possibilities of its foreign policy maneuvering and determination of an independent foreign policy course.

Until 1956, Britain provided financial assistance to the Kingdom, determining the foreign policy course and domestic policy of the country. Since 1957, the United States began to provide financial assistance to the Kingdom, making Jordan one of the outposts of countering the spread of the «red plague» in the Middle East as part of its policy of supporting anti-communist regimes.

Throughout this time, the United States remained the main source of financial assistance to Jordan. Today, American assistance to Jordan consists of both direct money transfer, which Jordan pays its external debt, and through USAID assistance programs have aimed at preserving water resources, education (building new schools and updating old ones) and «supporting democracy».

In the last six years, Jordan’s assistance has been provided on the basis of memorandums concluded for a period of three years each. In February 2018, the United States and Jordan signed a new five-year memorandum, according to which, over two years, the country will receive assistance in the amount of $ 1.275 billion per year for a total amount of $ 6.375 billion for the entire period of the memorandum. This is the first memorandum between the United States and Jordan, concluded for five years, and it is 27% more than the previous one. The US financial assistance is not limited to this, since it also comes in the form of credit guarantees and in other formats for various programs existing between the countries.

We can periodically affirm that the financial support for Jordan is provided by its partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC). So, after the June protests in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates allocated $ 2.5 billion to the kingdom, Qatar - $ 500 million. All these financial injections have a temporary effect - after some time, the country again has a budget deficit and austerity measures, prescribed by the IMF in order to reduce public debt, take people to protests.

Since 1957, American military instructors have been working with the Jordanian army to replace the British in this field, and since then, the United States has been a key supplier of weapons to Jordan. Providing military assistance to Jordan, the United States was initially in a difficult position, since Israel always believed that the supply of any weapons to Jordan was a direct threat to the security of their state. As a result, a model was worked out that more or less suited everyone - whatever weapons Jordan received, Israel would get a better one, which no one else in the region had.

In addition to the United States, today Jordan purchases armaments from Italy, in particular, acquires Centauro 1 armored vehicles, and buys 50 Marder 1A3 BMPs written off by the German Bundeswehr. The country’s practice of purchasing decommissioned military equipment in the West is not new. For example, from 1999 to 2004. Jordan bought from the UK all decommissioned Challenger tanks that were in service with the Kingdom until 2018.

It should be noted that Jordan is actively developing cooperation with Russia, purchasing Russian military equipment. Moreover, in the country, under the Russian license, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (RPG-32 Hashim) are produced, and in early 2018, the Kingdom received permission to sell them to third countries. Jordan also acquired the Russian military transport aircraft Il-76. In 2011, a contract for the training of Jordanian pilots and technical specialists by Russian specialists, which was signed in 2008, began in effect. In 2016, Jordan signed an agreement to purchase four heavy transport helicopters MI-26T2 and, according to available information, purchased from Russia ZRPK Shell C1^[2].

UNESCO is an active participant in international efforts to support Jordan in responding to the impact of the Syrian conflict^[3].

Adapting to new, rapidly changing development and humanitarian challenges, UNESCO «accelerated pace» launched projects at various program levels in support of Jordanian humanitarian actors (Regional Response Plan 6) and the implementation of the National Support Plan sustainability.

In Jordan, UNESCO plays a prominent role in the education sector at a strategic level through a humanitarian coordination mechanism and a sustainability-based aid system, namely the Host Community Support Platform.

In addition, UNESCO promotes life skills and access to non-formal education for children of Syrian refugees and Jordanian youth, and also strengthens the capacity of teachers and leaders, as well as the staff of the Ministry of Education, to respond to problems encountered in schools due to the influx of Syrian students. In addition, UNESCO provides the Ministry of Education with analytical support in developing sector management tools in the context of this crisis.

In the communications and information sector, UNESCO is leading two major projects designed to facilitate access to essential information for Syrian refugees, mainly youth and women, while also teaching Jordanian young reporters on community broadcasting techniques and approaches.

The organization also initiated a joint program with UN-Women aimed at providing employment opportunities for women in rural areas, linking this activity with the cultural heritage in northern Jordan, in one of the areas most affected by the influx of Syrian refugees.

Finally, UNESCO is actively involved in the fight against the illicit trade and looting of Syrian cultural monuments through advocacy and outreach to safeguard a threatened heritage and improve regional and international cooperation^[4].

According to SIPRI, Jordan’s military budget for 2017 amounted to more than $ 1.8 billion - this is one of the highest figures in history (2009 was a record year in military spending, while expenditures amounted to $ 1.9 billion).

One of the sides of the Syrian crisis and its impact on Jordan is the problem of the return of refugees^[5]. Syrian refugees make up at least one-third of the world's displaced people today. As a result of the conflict, according to the UN, about half of the pre-war population of Syria (5.6 million refugees and 6.6 million internally displaced persons) lost their places of permanent residence. The largest number of refugees is concentrated in Turkey (3.5 million), Lebanon (1 million) and Jordan (650 thousand) ^[6].

The problem of Syrian refugees is also acute in Jordan. In 2015, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation reported 1.4 million Syrians, of which 646.7 thousand were refugees^[7]. 23.5% are women, 53% are children (of which 18% are under the age of five). Although 85% of Syrian refugees live outside camps, one of the largest refugee camps in the world, Zaatari, (about 80 thousand people)^[8], another refugee camp, Azraq, accommodates more than 53 thousand, was created a few kilometers from the border. ., of which 36.6 thousand are constantly in the camp, and the rest are resettled in local communities^[9].

Jordan is politically and economically stronger and more stable than Lebanon, the government initially began to restrict the stay of Syrian refugees in the country. The water shortage and economic stagnation that Jordan experienced before the refugee crisis now affect Syrians^[10]. After attacking checkpoints on the Jordanian-Syrian border in 2016, Amman closed all remaining checkpoints and began forcibly expelling certain refugees^[11]. These and other problems (low salaries, low-quality housing, legal issues) make it difficult for the Syrian refugees to be in Jordan.

Due to the limited budgets of Lebanon and Jordan without external donor assistance, the crisis with Syrian refugees will only worsen^[12]. Lebanon, like Jordan, sees Syrian refugees as a socio-economic difficulty, which is solved by their return to their former places of residence, which should take place now on the territory returned to the control of government forces. At the same time, external players put forward a set of theses on the importance of a preliminary end to a political settlement, the need for clearance and the restoration of a minimum civilian infrastructure. Until the parties come to a compromise, the problem of Syrian refugees in these countries will not be resolved.

This problem continues to have a depressing effect on the economies of neighboring countries and creates serious domestic political and social difficulties for them. For Lebanon, where Syrians make up 20% of the population, refugees, in the words of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, have become a “time bomb”. Jordan's real GDP growth has been declining over the past three years, and per capita income has been at zero since 2012^[13].

At the call of Russia, and largely thanks to its initiatives, the process of returning refugees, mainly from Lebanon and Jordan, as well as from Turkey to areas not controlled by the Syrian government, began in mid-2018.

The start of a full-scale return is hindered by a number of circumstances. First of all, this is the position of the United States and EU member states, which believe that internal conditions for a voluntary and safe return have not yet been created. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees holds the same position. In contact with the Syrian government, its representatives are seeking a broader presence in Syria to help local refugees and increase confidence^[14].

According to Carnegie Endowment study, «despite the desire of most refugees to return home, it is unlikely that they will be able to do this in the near future, even if hostilities cease»^[15].

The openness and effectiveness of the work carried out by the interagency coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria on the basis of the basic principles of the United Nations with respect to refugees bring positive results.

To date, 1854038 Syrian citizens have returned to their homes, of which 1302876 internally displaced persons and 551162 refugees from abroad.

The number of citizens arriving in the country continues to increase. The largest number of refugees come from Jordan. We note a steady increase in the number of returnees from Lebanon. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Lebanese and Syrian authorities, on July 12, 2019, for the first time, a large organized group of refugees, numbering 950 people, was sent from Lebanon to the places of pre-war residence.

Largely thanks to the efforts of the Russian side, supported by the UN and neighboring Jordan, the Syrian authorities are gradually able to unblock the situation around Rukban. However, a radical solution to the problem of the camp is possible only with its disbandment.

The ATS government continues to overcome sanctions that may hinder the return of refugees, and is also working to create comfortable conditions for their speedy return to their homes. The effectiveness of the package of measures taken by the Syrian authorities is evidenced by the increasing flow of refugees from Jordan and Lebanon. From these countries, from the beginning of the year, 237,377 Syrians have returned to their homeland.

Refugee checkpoints continue to operate normally.

The main flows of refugees arriving in the country go through the Syrian-Lebanese and Syrian-Jordanian borders.

From Jordan through the Nasib checkpoint - 48,390 people.

3780 internally displaced persons returned to their places of permanent residence, of which^[16]:

- Through the checkpoint «Salkhiyah» - 70 people;

- Through the checkpoint «Jleb» (Homs) - 3,710 people.

In order to finally resolve the issue of the withdrawal of refugees from the Rukban camp, the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the warring parties held working meetings with representatives of the UN, the Bureau of National Security of Syria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Migrants, the Ministry of Municipal Administration and Ecology, and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

At the Third Brussels Conference, «Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region»^[17], the United States announced the allocation of more than $ 397 million as additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria as part of the Regional Refugee and Sustainable Development Plan for 2019–2020. With this in mind, US humanitarian assistance in response to the Syrian crisis will exceed $ 9.5 billion since the onset of this crisis. This demonstrates the continued commitment of the United States to providing vital assistance to the Syrian people affected by the conflict, both within Syria and throughout the region. The United States is grateful to all the donors who have stepped up their efforts and continue to urge both traditional and new donors to help meet growing needs.

By providing new funding for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Organization for Migration, non-governmental organizations and other agencies, the United States provides essential food, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, medical care, education and other assistance. almost 12 million suffering people in Syria and almost 5.7 million refugees in the region. Part of this funding also helps support communities in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt that generously receive Syrian refugees.

The United States is calling for immediate, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access for all people in need in Syria, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2449. The United States reiterates its support for freedom of movement for all displaced persons, as well as the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees and internally displaced persons as part of a process free of coercion.

US funding supports the needs of Syrian refugees in the Middle East and North Africa outside the Syrian region itself, as well as additional technical assistance for operations in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.

Table 1. The countris Financing ^[18]

Thus, the Syrian crisis, which has been going on for the ninth year now, has seriously affected the internal situation in Jordan. Jordan has fully borne the brunt of the crisis and bears this burden on behalf of the international community, while maintaining an open border.

Population growth has far-reaching consequences for the country's limited resources^[19], including water and electricity. This is especially true for host communities, where population growth will affect the provision of basic social services such as health, education and utilities, as well as social cohesion.

The protracted conflict threatens to nullify many of the development gains that Jordan has made hard work in the past few years.

List of Literatures

1. Amnesty International. Syria-Jordan border: 75,000 refugees trapped in desert no man’s land in dire conditions. 2016.15.09. – https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/09/syria-jordan-border-75000-refugees-trapped-in-desert-no-mans-land-in-dire-conditions/ (Date of view: 18.08.2018)

2. Jordan: A Hashemite legacy / Beverly Milton-Edwards and Peter Hinchcliffe. - 2nd ed. p. cm.; page 1.

3. Ministry of planning and international cooperation of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan response plan 2015 for the Syria crisis. 2014.17.12. – http://www.jo.undp.org/content/dam/jordan/docs/Publications/JRP+Final+Draft+2014.12.17.pdf (Date of view: 14.07.2018)

4. Nemeh B. Jordan’s burden // Carnegie Middle East Center. 2017. March 21. URL: http://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/68330 (Date of view: 18.09.2019)

5. Syria Emergency // the UN Refugee Agency. URL: http://www.unhcr.org/syria-emergency.html (Date of view: 18.09.2019)

6. Marwah Hashem: Jordan’s Za’atari camp goes green with new solar plant 14 November2017 Official site of UNHCR Jordan http://www.unhcr.org/ar/news/latest/2017/11/5a0acdb34.html

7. The World Bank. JordanData. 2018. – https://data.worldbank.org/country/Jordan (Date of view: 18.08.2018)

8. U.N. agency calls for more access in Syria to help refugees return // Reuters. 2019. March 9. URL: https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-refugees-grandi/u-n-agency-calls-for-more-access-in-syria-to-helprefugees-return-idUSKBN1QQ0JM (Date of view: 18.09.2019)

9. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Jordan Factsheet: Azraq Refugee Camp. 2018. 31.01. – https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/unhcr-jordan-factsheet-azraq-refugee-camp-january-2018 (Date of view: 14.07.2018)

10. Yahya M., Kassir J., Hariri K. Unheard Voices: What Syrian Refugees Need to Return Home // Carnegie Middle East Center. 2018. April 16. URL: https://carnegie-mec.org/2018/04/16/refugee-attitudes-toward-return-tosyria-pub-76061 (Date of view: 18.09.2019)

In Russian

11. В Москве прошло совместное заседание межведомственных координационных штабов России и Сирии по возвращению беженцев на территорию САР. // Режим доступа: https://tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/content/201907241549-mil-ru-kaadu.html (дата обращения: 23.09.2019)

12. Иордания расчитывает на многомиллиардную помощь стран Персидского залива. // Режим доступа: http://anna-news.info/iordaniya-raschityvaet-na-mnogomilliardnuyu-pomoshh-stran-persidskogo-zaliva/ (дата обращения: 22.09.2019)

13. Иордания: небезопасная безопасность. // Режим доступа: https://russiancouncil.ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/iordaniya-nebezopasnaya-bezopasnost/ (дата обращения: 20.09.2019)

14. Источник: https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/03/290350.htm (дата обращения: 23.09.2019)

15. Меры реагирования ЮНЕСКО в Иордании. // Режим доступа: http://www.unesco.org/new/ru/syria-crisis-response/regional-response/jordan/ (дата обращения: 22.09.2019)

16. Сирийский кризис беженцев: проблемы вынужденного перемещения на Ближнем Востоке. // Режим доступа: http://svom.info/entry/887-sirijskij-krizis-bezhencev-problemy-vynuzhdennogo-/ (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

17. Сирийский кризис: тернистое движение от войны к миру. // Режим доступа: https://globalaffairs.ru/valday/Siriiskii-krizis-ternistoe-dvizhenie-ot-voiny-k-miru-20167 (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[1] Иордания расчитывает на многомиллиардную помощь стран Персидского залива. // Режим доступа: http://anna-news.info/iordaniya-raschityvaet-na-mnogomilliardnuyu-pomoshh-stran-persidskogo-zaliva/ (дата обращения: 22.09.2019)

^[2] Иордания: небезопасная безопасность. // Режим доступа: https://russiancouncil.ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/iordaniya-nebezopasnaya-bezopasnost/ (дата обращения: 20.09.2019)

^[3] Меры реагирования ЮНЕСКО в Иордании. // Режим доступа: http://www.unesco.org/new/ru/syria-crisis-response/regional-response/jordan/ (дата обращения: 22.09.2019)

^[4] Там же.

^[5] Сирийский кризис: тернистое движение от войны к миру. // Режим доступа: https://globalaffairs.ru/valday/Siriiskii-krizis-ternistoe-dvizhenie-ot-voiny-k-miru-20167 (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[6] Syria Emergency // The UN Refugee Agency. URL: http://www.unhcr.org/syria-emergency.html (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[7] Ministry of planning and international cooperation of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan response plan 2015 for the Syria crisis. 2014.17.12. – http://www.jo.undp.org/content/dam/jordan/docs/Publications/JRP+Final+Draft+2014.12.17.pdf (датаобращения: 14.07.2018)

^[8] Tadshin 'akbar mahatat litawlid alkahraba' fi mukhayam alzaetari lilajiiyn fi al'urdun. [Запуск крупнейшей электростанции в лагере беженцев Затари в Иордании]. Официальный сайт УВКБ ООН на арабском языке. 2017.14.11. – http://www.unhcr.org/ar/news/latest/2017/11/5a0acdb34.html (дата обращения: 07.08.2018)

^[9] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Jordan Factsheet: Azraq Refugee Camp. 2018. 31.01. – https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/unhcr-jordan-factsheet-azraq-refugee-camp-january-2018 (датаобращения: 14.07.2018)

^[10] The World Bank. JordanData. 2018. – https://data.worldbank.org/country/Jordan (дата обращения: 18.08.2018)

^[11] Amnesty International. Syria-Jordan border: 75,000 refugees trapped in desert no man’s land in dire conditions. 2016.15.09. – https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/09/syria-jordan-border-75000-refugees-trapped-in-desert-no-mans-land-in-dire-conditions/ (дата обращения: 18.08.2018)

^[12] Сирийский кризис беженцев: проблемы вынужденного перемещения на Ближнем Востоке. // Режим доступа: http://svom.info/entry/887-sirijskij-krizis-bezhencev-problemy-vynuzhdennogo-/ (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[13] Nemeh B. Jordan’s burden // Carnegie Middle East Center. 2017. March 21. URL: http://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/68330 (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[14] U.N. agency calls for more access in Syria to help refugees return // Reuters. 2019. March 9. URL: https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-refugees-grandi/u-n-agency-calls-for-more-access-in-syria-to-helprefugees-return-idUSKBN1QQ0JM (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[15] Yahya M., Kassir J., Hariri K. Unheard Voices: What Syrian Refugees Need to Return Home // Carnegie Middle East Center. 2018. April 16. URL: https://carnegie-mec.org/2018/04/16/refugee-attitudes-toward-return-tosyria-pub-76061 (дата обращения: 18.09.2019)

^[16] В Москве прошло совместное заседание межведомственных координационных штабов России и Сирии по возвращению беженцев на территорию САР. // Режим доступа: https://tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/content/201907241549-mil-ru-kaadu.html (дата обращения: 23.09.2019)

^[17] Источник: https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/03/290350.htm (дата обращения: 23.09.2019)

^[18] Fact Sheet, 14th of Feb 2018 “New U.S.-Jordan Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Foreign Assistance to Jordan” – US Department of State https://www.state.gov/new-u-s-jordan-memorandum-of-understanding-on-bilateral-foreign-assistance-to-jordan-2/

^[19] Asia and Near East, BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION- Department of State MARCH 27, 2019 https://www.state.gov/overseas-assistance-by-region/asia-and-near-east/