The TaiwanICDF and Mercy Corps are cooperating on a Well Rehabilitation in Host Communities Project. The initiative, which formally commenced on December 22, 2014 and will run to June 21, 2015, will see appraisal, digging and repair work being carried out at two well sites in Irbid and Mafraq governorates in northern Jordan, providing Syrian refugees and local residents with access to safe water supplies.

More than three million Syrians have sought asylum in neighboring countries since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, with no letup in number as the conflict has increased. Jordan has housed more than 600,000 refugees, with the northern governorates of Irbid and Mafraq now accommodating over 310,000 people.

This massive influx of refugees has come at a time of severe drought, stretching Jordan’s already fragile water system to its limits, and Mercy Corps estimates that 53 percent of refugees in Irbid and 51 percent in Mafraq only have access to a day’s worth of safe drinking water per week. To make matters worse, the severe cold weather gripping the area is making life all the more difficult for refugees and local residents.

In addition to seeing appraisal, digging and repair work carried out at two wells, if further investigation finds that groundwater at the sites has been depleted even at lower depths, then there will be a need to locate and dig for new water sources, installing the necessary pumps and pipelines, and performing upgrades and similar operations.

Through the project, each rehabilitated well is expected to supply up to 50-70 cubic meters of water per hour, benefitting at least 15,000 people per day. Further to raising the basic standard of living for Syrian refugees living in Jordan, the project will also highlight Taiwan’s international aid efforts on the world stage, further enhancing the country’s international visibility.

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• Update: 2018/03/01
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