The U.S. assistance program to Jordan is among the largest in the world. Key players are the U.S. Agency for International Development and Millennium Challenge Corp.

Devex Early Intelligence learned that the USAID resident mission in Amman has requested a total of US$693 million for fiscal 2010. About half of the funds are expected to go to ongoing peace and security efforts. A big chunk will also be allotted to the provision of basic services.

According to Kathryn Stevens, USAID director of program management in Jordan, the agency's education and economic growth programs provided 85,000 youth with training and helped develop their technical skills in 2008. Stevens said USAID has recently teamed up with the International Youth Foundation as youth and poverty alleviation represent a new priority for the agency.

She added that the mission maintains a water program aimed at supporting the government's new water strategy. USAID has linked up with MCC, which will focus on four main activities in the water sector - all in and around the Zarqa city. This will form MCC's compact with Jordan, which will hopefully be signed in mid-2010, said Millennium Challenge Account public outreach coordinator Ruba Attalah.

Good governance and human rights are other areas of U.S. assistance in Jordan.