American international volunteer group Peace Corps will temporarily suspend activities in Jordan amid concerns about the stability of the region, the Associated Press reported Sunday.
The group announced the planned departure on their website over the weekend, piling on another heavy warning for foreigners in the Hashemite Kingdom.
Since Jordan annouced the step-up of its role in the international coalition following Jordanian pilot Muath Kasasbeh's execution, the normally-stable kingdom has been confronted with the possibility that its image as a stability haven in the restive MENA region may also be shifting.
International groups and foreigners working in the country have seen heightened security concerns over the last month, including a prominent warning released by the US embassy in late February detailing the possiblity of an attack on high-end malls in Jordan, urging citizerns to avoid them.
For Jordan, whose limited natural resources mean a heavy reliance on foreign aid and tourism, the security alerts come at a price. The industry is already weighed down by regional instability, a problem exacerbated as concerns hit inside Jordan's borders.
While Jordanian government spokesperson Mohamed Momani declined to give a comment to the AP about the Peace Corps' evacuation, a parliamentary member in Jordan told the news agency many Jordanians believed risks inside the kingdom were being exaggerated by the US and other embassies at the expense of the country's vital tourism sector.
Sites like shopping centers and markets, which embassies have warned their citizens to avoid in Jordan, have instead remained full of customers, parliamentarian Mustafa Hamarneh said, adding that “there is no general sense in this country that [anyone is] in danger.”
The Peace Corps is sending some 40 volunteers home from Jordan in the new evacuation plan, ending what they said is a youth development-focused program with local communities. Spokespeople for the group they'd like volunteers to return later, if possible, but were not leaving any in-country for the time being.
Jordan's role in the coalition against Daesh has grown substantially since the pilot's execution, as has a general feeling of revenge against the extremist group inside the country.
Immediately following the grisly video, the Hashemite Kingdom said it carried out 56 airstrikes against Daesh across Syria, and has continued to work with international partners on more strikes since.
