Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Jordan and U.S.-based humanitarian organization Mercy Corps inked a memorandum of understanding Aug. 5 in Amman to increase the safety and well-being of Syrian refugee girls in Jordan.
Under the pact signed by TECO in Jordan Representative Ismail Mae and Kari Diener, Mercy’s regional programs director, Taiwan will donate US$250,000 to implement a 12-month empowerment initiative providing health education and psychological support for teenage girls in the Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps.
The contribution will enable Mercy to train additional mentors to instruct younger peers about puberty while fostering a supportive environment allowing girls to safely engage in educational and recreational activities. Funding will additionally go toward helping parents enhance their caregiving skills.
During the pact’s signing ceremony, Mae said Taiwan and Jordan have long enjoyed a robust relationship, with the two countries cooperating in a wide range of development projects in the Middle Eastern country since the 1970s.
As a responsible member of the global community, Taiwan has provided over US$20 million in humanitarian assistance programs since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Mae said.
According to Mae, the agreement follows the donation of 200,000 surgical masks and four thermometers in May to boost coronavirus-fighting efforts in Jordan. The latest initiative is further testament that Taiwan Can Help and Taiwan Is Helping, he added.
In response, Diener praised the agreement as an expansion of the support Taiwan has been offering to Syrian refugees and disadvantaged residents in Jordan through the nongovernmental organization since 2013.
Diener commended Taiwan for generously supporting projects aimed at meeting the urgent needs of people impacted by turmoil in the region, including initiatives setting up computer and youth activity centers in refugee camps and programs providing skills training and protection for women and children. (SFC-E)
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