by JT | Jul 29, 2013 | 23:24

AMMAN — Asharq Alawsat, the Britain-based Arabic newspaper, published an editorial on Monday hailing the ability of Jordan to remain a pillar of stability in the region despite the repercussions of the Syrian crisis and an unsteady economy.

Challenging the US’ rhetoric that Syria has not yet become a failed state, the editorial noted that the now 26-month-old crisis has caused an estimated 100,000 casualties and the sectarian repercussions of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ongoing conflict with rebel groups have spread across the region.

“The bitter reality is that Syria has indeed become a ‘failed state’, and this term is probably true of some of the countries bordering Syria… One state is still standing and steadfast in the face of this mess of division: Jordan.”

Despite having the weakest economy in the region and limited natural resources, Asharq Alawsat attributes Jordan’s political coherence to the value that the Kingdom attaches to stability, democracy and development.

The patience and understanding of the Jordanian leadership and its ability to react responsibly to regional turmoil has, according to the editorial, compounded the Kingdom’s success in remaining a haven of stability in the Middle East.

Citing regional unrest such as the Lebanese civil war, the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent toppling of Saddam Hussein and the current sectarian crisis destroying Syria, the editorial highlights the “real disaster” that the conflict in the northern neighbour has had on Jordan. Reflecting on the “economic crisis” that the outbreak of the conflict in 2011 had on the Kingdom’s economy and infrastructure, Asharq Alawsat emphasised that it is the humanitarian aspect of the conflict that has exacerbated Jordan’s suffering.

In particular, the editorial singles out the Zaatari Refugee Camp, located in Mafraq, 80km northeast of Amman, which has become the second largest refugee camp in the world due to the increasing number of Syrian refugees that have flooded into the Kingdom since the conflict began.

The editorial expressed concern over the growing number of refugees at Zaatari, which exceeds 120,000 according to official estimates, due to the camp’s proximity to the Syrian-Jordanian border and the Kingdom’s ongoing economic struggles.

Calling on Jordan’s “brotherly Arab nations” to pay more attention to Jordan, “which it deserves”, and assist it in its struggle to remain a humanitarian haven for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, Asharq Alawsat emphasised that the only way to safeguard Jordan’s status as a stable force in an otherwise turbulent region was to ensure its “economic steadfastness”.

Source: http://jordantimes.com/jordan-deserves-more-arab-attention—-asharq-alawsat

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