Queen Rania Meets PM Cameron to Discuss Ways to Address the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan

(Office of Her Majesty – Press Department – London) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah met with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron in London on Friday. They discussed ways to help Jordan address the challenges created by hosting 1.4 million Syrian refugees.

At the start of the meeting, Her Majesty thanked the government and people of the United Kingdom for their continued support. She added that ongoing violence in the Middle East has forced many countries including Jordan to cope with the overwhelming burden of hosting refugees, and called for new approaches and innovative solutions to address this issue.

During the meeting, Her Majesty and PM Cameron discussed the impact of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis on Jordan’s healthcare and education sectors and infrastructure. Queen Rania explained that with almost 90% of Syrian refugees living in towns and villages instead of refugee camps, Jordan’s limited resources, schools and hospitals have been stretched.

This strain on Jordan’s budget has prompted it to launch a comprehensive economic plan to mitigate the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis.

The meeting comes ahead of the upcoming Syria Donor’s Conference, which will convene in London on February 4.  

Also present at the meeting were Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Imad Fakoury, and the Jordanian ambassador to the UK, Mazen Al-Hmoud. The UK Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden and a number of officials from the UK Prime Minister’s office also attended.

Her Majesty’s trip to London is the first stop in a working trip to several European countries, where she will meet with high ranking European officials, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her Majesty’s meetings will focus on supporting Jordan and prospects for long-term solutions to the challenges Jordan faces in light of the refugee crisis and regional turmoil.