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Rubio to meet Jordan's Foreign Minister as Gaza crisis worsens

Rubio to meet Jordan's Foreign Minister as Gaza crisis worsens

The National4 days ago
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Washington on Wednesday, as the threat of mass starvation in Gaza continues to increase.
Mr Safadi is in the midst of a tour of North America. Earlier this week, he met Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand.
Mr Safadi's trip to Canada was part of a 'working visit' to the country by King Abdullah II.
King Abdullah met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday in Ottawa, the first meeting between the leaders since Mr Carney was elected in March.
They discussed a host of issues, including ways to 'enhance the partnership between Jordan and Canada, as well as the latest developments in the region', Jordan's State News Agency said.
Canada pledged $28 million to help Jordan bolster its border security, the Canadian Prime Minister's office said.
'The Prime Minister and His Majesty also discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the imperative of a ceasefire in Gaza, called for urgent, life-saving humanitarian aid to reach civilians, and the imperative for stability in Syria,' the Prime Minister's office said.
The situation in Gaza appears to be further worsening, with the threat of mass starvation increasing in the densely populated strip.
'A large proportion of the population of Gaza is starving. I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation – and it's man-made,' said World Health Organisation Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday.
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