Lebanon, Jordan Say Donor Pledges for Syrian Refugees Haven't Materialized

Lebanon and Jordan confirmed on Friday that both countries still haven't received any of the aid that donor Arab and other states pledged to pay to assist with the influx of Syrian refugees.

“We need to tackle the matter with the international community in a united and collaborative way to resolve the burden of the refugees on our countries,” visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Jawdeh told reporters at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Adnan Mansour.

He called on creating new ways to provide Syrians with the necessary humanitarian aid to limit the numbers of refugees.

For his part, Mansour considered the situation as “very difficult,” pointing out that “the two countries will be able to overcome this dilemma.”

Jawdeh said that his country's stance from the turmoil in Syria is “firm,” noting that Jordan “will not close the border between the two countries” despite the fact that more than 3,000 refugees enter it daily.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the two officials also discussed the bilateral ties between the two countries and the latest developments.

President Michel Suleiman has asked for $1.5 billion during a donor conference in Kuwait to help host the increasing number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Around 97 percent of the refugees have fled to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

Lebanon is currently hosting around 300,000 Syrian refugees.