Jordon: King Meets Hittin Camp Youth, Vows Support

(Media & Communication Directorate - Royal Hashemite Court)

Amman, 7/7/2008-- His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday said it is important to enhance services in the fields of education, health and the youth sector in Hittin refugee camp.

During a meeting at the Royal Court with members of the We are All Jordan Youth Commission from the camp, a young task force charged with compiling a report on the needs of the camp under a nationwide initiative, King Abdullah expressed willingness to extend support that would improve services in the camp.

Members of the task force reviewed the results of the study they carried out. The King said all of these demands and needs would be met according to priority and in cooperation between the government and UNRWA.

Young people at the Monday meeting conveyed the appreciation of the camp's residents to King Abdullah for his gesture, noting that work is under way on several projects he ordered to be implemented during his visit, including improvements to existing schools, infrastructure and the environment.

Work is currently under way on establishing a public transportation station, an Islamic cemetery, a multipurpose hall, a rehabilitation centre for the disabled and a comprehensive healthcare centre.

In addition, work is also in progress to set up security kiosks inside the camp and increase the number of beneficiary families from a project to rehabilitate the houses of the poor in the camp.

The task force members cited heavy traffic congestion inside the camp, which lies on the road between Amman and Zarqa, overcrowded schools and pressures on the existing healthcare centres, in addition to environmental issues as the most pressing problems in the camp.

Amman Mayor Omar Maani said the Greater Amman Municipality is working on addressing the environmental problems caused by an adjacent pond close to the Pepsi company.

Dubbed ‘Pepsi Pond’, the area has been an environmental hot spot for decades because it collects the wastewater from the bottling facility.

Maani said the plan is to transform the pond into a clean water body.

A concrete dam will be constructed to store water in winter, while the park established in the area will undergo maintenance and be upgraded, said Maani.

The mayor added that establishing a youth centre, IT training outlets and the multi purpose hall will be completed by Ramadan, which falls in September, noting that the rehabilitation of the Pepsi Pond needs another eight months.

ENDS

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