His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein, paid a surprise visit to Taibeh village in the Karak Governorate on Friday, immediately after returning home from a private vacation.

King Abdullah visited the village after several reports highlighted the suffering of its residents as a result of frequent cuts in their water supply over the past several months.

The King listened to the complaints of a number of residents and notables in relation to the water issue, calling on concerned authorities to take immediate measures to resolve the matter swiftly.

His Majesty directed concerned authorities, particularly the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, to identify the areas that suffer from water cuts in the governorate as soon as possible, in order to find permanent solutions to the problem and guarantee fair distribution of water among all citizens, particularly during the summer.

Also during the visit, His Majesty instructed various ministries to directly supervise the performance of their affiliated departments in the governorates to make sure that they are connecting with citizens and providing them with quality services, highlighting the need for officials to conduct field visits to various areas.

In implementation of the Royal directives, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation has begun supplying Taibeh and other areas in Karak Governorate, 140 kilometres south of Amman, with drinking water using water tanks.

The Jordan Armed Forces and the Civil Defence Department are also helping distribute water.

Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar said the ministry would exert more efforts to address water problems in Taibeh and other parts of the Kingdom.

Pumping water to Taibeh is difficult because it is a highland area, Najjar said, adding that the ministry will install a large water storage tank in the area to address the problem in accordance with the Royal directives.