Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi discussed the issue of Syrian refugees with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, during her visit to Jordan.

In a joint press conference with Baerbock on Thursday, September 5, Safadi said that if electricity is cut off to the refugee camps due to the lack of necessary support for UN organizations, Jordan will not provide electricity because it cannot do so.

“Our primary responsibility is towards our people as we face difficult economic conditions. Gaza had devastating economic effects on our economy, and we are a country with limited resources. We must act according to our priorities. We will do everything we can to provide a decent living for the refugees, but our first responsibility is towards our people,” Safadi added.

He also pointed to a noticeable decline in international support for refugees and the UN organizations that care for them, according to the Jordan News Agency.

The minister added, “We must sound the alarm and say that there is a significant decline, and we in Jordan will not be able to meet the needs of the refugees without the international support that is supposed to continue assisting them.”

Safadi stated that Jordan will not be able to bear the burden alone, and if the UN organizations concerned with refugees do not continue their role, we will not be able to fill the void.

Safadi’s statements come after the World Food Programme (WFP) announced in mid-July that it had effectively suspended its aid to around 17,000 Syrian refugee families in Jordan due to a funding shortfall.

At the time, the UN program said it had conducted cash transfers as aid to refugees in Jordan amounting to $8.6 million in June, amid a funding shortfall for the program’s requirements that reached $105 million, according to Jordan’s AlMamlaka channel.

The program added that due to the funding shortfall, aid was suspended for 16,650 Syrian refugee families in Jordan.

The WFP continues to reduce its aid to other vulnerable Syrian refugees in Jordan, reducing it to 15 Jordanian dinars per month ($21).

Despite limited available funds, the WFP prioritizes helping 310,000 Syrian refugees in camps and local communities with low levels of assistance.

The World Food Programme had announced on June 3 that it intended to suspend food aid to 100,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan starting from last July, and it officially announced the suspension of that aid.