The World Food Programme (WFP) announced its intention to suspend food aid for 100,000 refugees in Jordan, starting from next July.

The Jordanian Al-Mamlaka channel reported, quoting the deputy country director of the World Food Programme in Jordan, Laurene Goublet, that the program needs to direct its very limited resources to prioritize the most needy families to receive the aid.

Following the reduction in the value of monthly aid last year, the level of food insecurity among refugees in Jordan increased during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the second quarter of 2023 (before the reduction), according to the World Food Programme.

Due to the funding shortage, all refugees residing in Jordan have been receiving 21 US dollars per person per month since August 2023, instead of the previously set 32 dollars.

During 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan provided approximately 70 million US dollars in cash assistance to refugees, according to a report titled “Post-distribution Monitoring 2023” of the cash assistance program, on May 9.

Aid reduction

In mid-July 2023, the World Food Programme in Jordan announced a reduction in its monthly food aid for 465,000 refugees, and the exclusion of about 50,000 other individuals from the monthly assistance, citing a funding shortfall of 41 million dollars until the end of 2023.

Previously, Enab Baladi contacted the office of the World Food Programme in Jordan via email, which clarified that refugee families “most in need” of food assistance will receive 21 dollars per person per month, while “moderately needy” families will receive 14 dollars per person per month.

In a later statement, the WFP announced a one-third reduction in support for all Syrian refugees, starting from August 2023, where refugees will receive a cash transfer of 21 US dollars per person per month, down from the previous amount of 32 dollars.

About 30% of adults in the camps work in mostly temporary or seasonal jobs, and cash assistance constitutes the sole source of income for 57% of the camp residents.

The total number of Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees until the end of 2023 is 723,886 individuals.

The Zaatari camp, the largest refugee camp, hosts about 80,000 refugees and is located 10 kilometers east of Mafraq city in northern Jordan.

Meanwhile, the Azraq camp hosts 38,000 refugees and is located in the northeastern part of the kingdom. Only 18% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in camps.