Food bill jumps by 25% due to refugee influx

AMMAN – The Kingdom’s food bill increased by 25 per cent due to the influx of refugees, especially Syrians, during the last four years, according to the Foodstuff Traders Association.

In a statement, the syndicate’s president, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, said the food bill used to stand at $3.3 billion, but after the Arab Spring, it reached $4.2 billion, adding that several international organisations concerned with refugees’ rights have become dependent on the local market to provide food for Syrian refugees.

He noted that the Kingdom’s sugar imports cost $183 million last year, while rice imports stood at $187 million, followed by frozen poultry ($54 million) and frozen meat ($67 million).