His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday directed concerned authorities to build housing units for impoverished families in Al Mallaha town to replace their worn-out houses.

His Majesty also announced that the town and surrounding areas will be covered by a master plan drawn up for the Jordan Valley to improve the quality of services and radically address socio-economic problems the residents of this underprivileged district face.

During a visit to Mallaha, the King met with local community leaders and listened to their demands and suggestions.

According to a documentary prepared by the We are All Jordan Youth Commission in Deir Alla, Mallaha is home to some 425 families, including 28 who do not have decent housing.

Representatives from the nearby northern and southern Tawal towns attended the meeting, during which the King noted he visited Deir Alla more than once and it became clear that “setting up a social development centre here or a school there is of great benefit but we want to draw up a comprehensive plan to address all the problems of the area".

The King also called on various sectors and the youth to propose suggestions and solutions that help alleviate poverty and create jobs for local residents and motivate them to work in the agricultural sector.

King Abdullah said he would receive representatives from the area for a follow-up meeting to be attended by the government during the coming weeks to set priorities and a timeframe for the area.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Nader Dahabi said the government, upon the King's directives, allocated 30 dunums of the Jordan Valley Authority's land for the creation of houses for disadvantaged families in Al Mallaha.

The premier added that the government has started preparing lists to exempt small farmers from loan interest, noting the government is also studying covering societies concerned with the agricultural sector by the decision.

On agriculture, Dahabi added that the government has a programme to encourage the growing of wheat and it will allocate land for those interested in this regard, adding that the government will buy crops at prices even higher than international prices.

Citizens called for carrying out maintenance for several schools, building new schools, creating fences for schools and expanding healthcare centres and improving their services.

There is a large percentage of school dropouts in the village due to the lack of proper educational atmosphere, said community leaders, also calling for increasing the number of those covered by health insurance.

They also called for carrying out maintenance work for worn-out water networks in the area and creating a sewage network.

The residents also called for increasing the water share to farmers and suggesting establishing a yoghurt plant.