Jordan says Syrian refugees placing pressure on its water resources

2012-07-11 16:04:23 GMT2012-07-12 00:04:23(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

AMMAN, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The Jordanian government on Wednesday said the influx of Syrian refugees is increasing pressure on the country's limited water resources.

"The influx of Syrians, especially to the northern parts of the Kingdom, caused problems and water disruptions ... citizens in the country's northern governorates repeatedly complained to us about water shortage," Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar said in a press conference Wednesday.

The minister said Jordan received about 1.8 million dinars from UNICEF recently to be able to provide water for the Syrian refugees in the country.

He added that the German Development Bank will soon provide the country with a grant to enable the Kingdom to provide water to the increasing number of Syrians, especially in the northern parts of the country.

According to official figures, there are more than 130,000 Syrians in Jordan who fled the unrest in their country.

Jordan is considered the fourth poorest country in the world in terms of water, according to the minister.

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