UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Office of Press Relations

For Immediate Release
February 27, 2024

Administrator Samantha Power Visits Jordan

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Jessica Jennings:‎

On February 26 and 27, Administrator Samantha Power traveled to Jordan where she met with government officials and U.S. Embassy staff, and visited USAID development projects. Administrator Power’s visit comes as the United States marks 75 years of partnership with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. During her trip, the Administrator thanked King Abdullah II and the Government of Jordan for their significant humanitarian efforts in Gaza and discussed the United States’ ongoing efforts to surge more life-saving assistance to civilians in Gaza.

On February 26, Administrator Power visited a World Food Programme (WFP) commodities warehouse in Amman, where relief supplies are consolidated and dispatched to Gaza. The U.S. is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza. Administrator Power met with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, UN Resident Coordinator for Jordan Sheri Ritsema-Anderson, and WFP Jordan Country Director Alberto Correia Mendes along with other UN personnel to discuss the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They also discussed the enormous challenges humanitarian workers are facing getting aid into Gaza and distributing it to people who need it. The aid workers described significant logistical burdens and the danger they face from IDF military operations, organized criminals, and even desperate civilians increasingly overrunning trucks.

Administrator Power then traveled to Jordan’s northern region where she visited USAID-supported water infrastructure projects. She met with the Minister of Water and Irrigation and the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and discussed how, as one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, Jordan manages its water resources and how the United States can continue to partner with them across these efforts. The Administrator reiterated USAID’s commitment to helping Jordan build resilience to shocks caused by regional crises, including through ongoing support to maximize Jordan’s limited water resources.

On February 27, Administrator Power met with His Majesty King Abdullah II and Government of Jordan officials. The Administrator thanked the King for his commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the group discussed ways the two countries can work together to urgently increase the amount of humanitarian aid reaching civilians there. The Administrator underscored USAID’s continued commitment to support the Government of Jordan as it works toward key development priorities, including water sustainability