Agreement worth 8m euros signed to support refugees, host communities

AMMAN — Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan Harry Verweij, and Ambassador of Denmark to Jordan and Lebanon Kristoffer Vivike on Monday signed an agreement on Monday allocating 8 million euros from the Netherlands to the Regional Development and Protection Programme for Refugees (RDPP).

The RDPP programme, which is under the supervision and leadership of Denmark, is jointly funded by several countries and has a total budget of 50 million euros, according to a statement from the Dutch embassy, cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Meant to increase the self-reliance and resilience of Jordanian communities, the programme focuses on creating job opportunities, providing refugee protection and supporting vulnerable Jordanians, especially youth and women.

The embassy emphasised the adoption of a comprehensive approach to promoting sustainable livelihoods, which includes working with the private sector, civil society and local authorities. 

In providing protection the programme will give empowering women, combating child labour and improving working conditions a special focus.

The programme also seeks to strengthen the role of local institutions in supporting refugees and host communities.

Highlighting the importance of the programme, Verweij said the initiative addresses three key priorities of the Netherlands  Development Cooperation Programme in Jordan: Supporting vulnerable groups such as refugees, women and youth, increasing employment opportunities and improving the response of local authorities to refugees.

Vivike said that the RDPP programme falls within the Netherlands’ efforts to support Jordanian civil society organisations in improving livelihoods, protection and employment opportunities for both Jordanians and refugees.

He expressed his enthusiasm for the Netherlands to join the programme as a donor and highlighted the potential for further positive impact on the lives of refugees and vulnerable host communities in Jordan.

The RDPP was launched in 2014 in response to the needs of refugees and affected host communities in countries neighbouring Syria. The programme is implemented through partnerships with civil society, with a focus on local funding and organisation.

Besides the Netherlands and Denmark, other donors for the third phase of the programme, which covers both Jordan and Lebanon, include the European Union, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, with Denmark leading the implementation of the RDPP programme on behalf of the donors.