Ministry, Tkiyet Um Ali to combat hunger in poor areas

AMMAN — The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation has contributed JD430,000 to combat malnourishment in underprivileged areas, in cooperation with Tkiyet Um Ali, the ministry said on Monday. 

The funding is part of an agreement signed on Monday between Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and Tkiyet Um Ali Director General Samer Balkar, the ministry said in a statement. 

Fakhoury said his ministry contributed JD430,000 through the social and economic productivity enhancement programme to combat malnourishment in areas recently adopted by the Cabinet as development areas.

Underprivileged families in the targeted areas require government intervention to improve living conditions and access to health and education services. 

The minister described the agreement with Tkiyet Um Ali as the "first of its kind", signed in accordance with Royal directives to provide a decent life to Jordanians and improve their living conditions. 

Tkiyet Um Ali is an initiative of HRH Princess Haya, and the organisation’s sustainable food support programme contributes directly to minimising the hunger of underprivileged families, the statement said.

Balkar said that during the past 10 years, Tkiyet Um Ali has taken "serious and committed steps" and today it provides constant support to 18,300 underprivileged families across the Kingdom all year round. 

Also on Monday, Fakhoury signed an agreement with retired Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Irdeisat, the chairperson of the Economic and Social Association for Retired Servicemen and Veterans, under which the ministry will provide JD682,000 from the economic and social productivity enhancement programme to finance productive projects by veterans. 

The projects will improve the living conditions of retired servicemen and increase their productivity, Fakhoury said, expecting 15 new productive projects to be established under the agreement. 

He said the agreement was a response to requests for support by several retired servicemen societies around the Kingdom, which were presented during government field visit to the governorates in July and August. 

Since 2004, around 120 cooperative societies for retired servicemen have been established, 78 productive projects have been supported and the ministry also contributed to establishing 43 consumer markets for the societies, the ministry said. 

The industrial, service, agricultural, trade and ICT projects provide more than 450 job opportunities for retired soldiers, which indirectly benefited 4,350 members of the cooperative societies, according to the ministry. 

For his part, Irdeisat said the funding would support the societies’ role in improving economic and social conditions around the Kingdom, especially in poverty pockets.