Today Thomas Silberhorn, the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, ended his three-day visit to Iraq and Jordan. In a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Silberhorn pledged support for the people who have fled from Mosul and assistance for rebuilding the city following its liberation.
"The displaced persons in Iraq need to have the prospect of being able to return safely to their homes," Silberhorn said. "Through our assistance in Tikrit we have already helped make it possible for more than 90 per cent of the people who had been displaced to go back. This is not just about providing clean drinking water, medical care and electricity. These people also need schools and jobs. In order to win the fight against IS terrorism and permanently stabilise Iraq, reconciliation processes must go hand in hand with economic reconstruction."
Working with the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF and the UN Development Programme UNDP, Germany is providing development cooperation support to meet the immediate needs of the refugees and to assist with the future reconstruction of Mosul. The Development Ministry is providing 34 million euros for this purpose.
In Amman in Jordan, State Secretary Silberhorn opened the German-Jordanian Water Dialogue. The German government wishes to contribute through this Dialogue towards boosting the involvement of the German water industry in Jordan.
"Jordan is one of the most water-poor countries in the world," Silberhorn said. "The refugee crisis in Syria and the subsequent influx of more than one million people seeking refuge in Jordan is making the situation even more difficult. That is why we are helping Jordanian communities to develop their water supplies – for the local Jordanian population and for the refugees from Syria. German companies are able to offer superb expertise in the water sector. Without the involvement of the private sector, we will not be able to handle the enormous challenges to be faced."
Germany has provided massive development cooperation support for developing water supplies in Jordan. The main focus of the cooperation in this context has been on developing and improving infrastructure such as drinking water pipelines and wastewater treatment plants. These efforts benefit all communities, particularly those that are hosting refugees.