Foreign aid to Jordan hits US$1 billion since January 2015: Report

Amman, 2nd Aug. 2015 (WAM) -- Total foreign aid to Jordan since the beginning of 2015 amounted to US$1 billion, according to planning ministry figures. The ministry said Saturday that the external grants from donor nations reached US$632.64 million, while the soft loans directed to support the general budget amounted to US$364.84 million and the government-guaranteed soft loans totalled US$72.4 million. The Saudi Fund for Development along with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development were the largest donors, as their aid totalled US$256.1million, Jordan News Agency, Petra, said, citing the ministry's report. The United States supplied Jordan with a wheat grant worth US$25.1 million, while Japan provided US$17.6 million as medical equipment to the health ministry, the figures revealed. According to the statistics, the EU grants totalled US$66 million and the German Bank for Reconstruction provided US$22.4 million. Moreover, the soft loans directed to support the Kingdom's general budget reached US$196 million and was provided by Japan while the government-guaranteed loans totalled US$72.4million was provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the figures showed. The ministry also pointed out that the European Investment Bank and the United Nations Development Programme both provided US$11million. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/arab/1395283890749.html