British Ambassador Bridget Brind, OBE, visited Ajloun on Monday to meet Governor Salman Najada and Mayor Hasan Zghoul, community and youth leaders and local people, and to see first-hand the impact of UK Aid in supporting local communities, according to a British embassy statement.

The governor of Ajloun welcomed the visit and gave an overview of the situation in the governorate in the context of challenges faced as a result of the pandemic.  He highlighted the longstanding cooperation between the two countries and highlighted the role of international support in helping develop the governorate’s potential. 

The ambassador later met with the mayor of Ajloun, Hasan Zghoul, and discussed the main challenges faced by citizens in the municipality and the opportunities presented by local tourism, eco-tourism and environmental protection.

Brind visited the National Aid Fund (NAF) branch in Ajloun where she was welcomed by NAF Director General Omar Mashaghbeh and met with the branch manager and programme staff. The NAF Ajloun branch was established in 1986 and has supported more than 6,949 vulnerable families over the last year.

Brind had the opportunity to meet and talk to beneficiaries of the Government of Jordan’s Emergency Social Protection programme. The UK has provided £25m to support the government’s efforts to provide support through cash transfers to 293,000 economically vulnerable Jordanian households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including those who have lost jobs and livelihoods in the informal sector and female-headed households, the statement said.

"It has been a pleasure to meet DG Omar Mashagbeh and his dedicated team today and to hear first hand how UK Aid is helping vulnerable Jordanians in Ajloun. The UK has supported the NAF with technical assistance to enhance the registration and payment process and to develop a management information system,” the ambassador said.  

"Meeting families supported through the NAF highlighted the importance of the Emergency Social Protection Programme.  The cash assistance programme has positively impacted their lives and strengthened resilience during the difficult COVID-19 pandemic,” she added.

Commenting on the visit, Mashagbeh said: "The UK has provided important support to the NAF and our stakeholders who have been partnering with us to improve and expand our social protection in Jordan.”

Brind also visited the Ajloun Forest reserve, where she was welcomed by Manager Othman Tawalbeh. She saw the reserve facilities and visited the Royal Academy for the Conservation of Nature, the first centre in the Arab world specialised in training for nature conservation. 

Within the academy, the ambassador met community members working in the various workshops established by the RSCN, providing sustainable livelihoods opportunities. 

The visit was an opportunity for the ambassador to learn about Jordanian biodiversity, which has been heavily threatened by climate change in recent years, according to the statement. 

The ambassador welcomed this ahead of the COP26 climate summit, which will be hosted by the UK in Glasgow later this year. This will be a pivotal moment for the world to come together and agree ambitious steps to tackle global warming and invest in building back greener economies, read the statement.

At the end of her visit to Ajloun, Brind visited the football field and gym in "Sakhra”, funded by the UK and benefitting around 27,000 people living in Ajloun. 

The ambassador was welcomed by Al Juneid Mayor   Fakhri Almomani and the Mercy Corps team before she toured the football field and the newly opened gym facilities. 

During the visit, Brind met a diverse group of local community and youth leaders to discuss with them their views and inputs in shaping the projects. The visit to "Sakhra” allowed the ambassador to see the impact of UK Aid in supporting sustainable community-led initiatives and the importance of stability and social cohesion between Syrian refugees and host communities.