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AMMAN — Continuing funding shortfalls have forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to suspend food assistance for an estimated 135,000 refugees living in host communities across Jordan, according to the WFP Jordan Country Brief released on Sunday.
The cuts, which took effect in April, mark a significant reduction in support for vulnerable populations already facing mounting economic pressures.
The decision comes despite continued efforts to assist one of the world’s highest refugee-hosting countries per capita, where limited resources and economic strain continue to affect both refugees and host communities.
The WFP noted that Jordan is operating within an increasingly complex regional environment, with uncertainty weighing on trade, investment and overall economic stability.
According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, by the end of March 2026, the Kingdom hosted 419,950 registered refugees and asylum seekers, the majority of whom, 336,912 people, or 80.2 per cent, reside in urban areas, while 83,038, or 19.8 per cent, live in camps.
In March 2026, WFP continued to deliver reduced assistance to hundreds of thousands, providing 220,000 refugees in camps and host communities with monthly food support valued at JD15 per person.
However, amid a deepening funding crisis, the agency has been forced to prioritise its limited resources, maintaining reduced support for refugees in camps while discontinuing food assistance entirely for refugees living in host communities.
The situation in Jordan reflects broader regional and global trends highlighted in the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026, released on Friday by FAO, WFP, UNHCR and other partners.
The report noted that Jordan is among nine contexts where detailed classification of acute food insecurity levels is unavailable, with these areas collectively accounting for 27.9 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025.
Despite funding constraints, some programmes have continued. School-based initiatives reached 22,000 refugee students in camps and 42,000 in host communities through the provision of healthy meals, while date bars were distributed to some 400,000 students in host communities.
The Ministry of Education has committed to covering part of the programme costs. However, a funding gap of $7.6 million remains through the end of 2026, with $1 million urgently required to begin date bar production in May ahead of the new school year.
Looking ahead, WFP’s net funding requirements for the period from April to September 2026 stand at $66.1 million under its Country Strategic Plan (2023–2027).
The organisation warned that without increased donor contributions, even the current minimal levels of assistance may not be sustainable.
The GRFC 2026 similarly cautions that severe levels of acute food insecurity are expected to persist across multiple contexts this year, underscoring the urgent need for sustained humanitarian and development support.
Jordan’s role as a stable host country in a volatile region has long depended on international solidarity. The latest cuts represent a critical juncture, highlighting the growing gap between needs and available resources.
Jordan’s role as a stable host in a volatile region has long depended on international solidarity. As both the WFP Country Brief and the GRFC 2026 make clear, the April cuts represent a critical turning point.
In February 2026, Interior Minister Mazen Faraya met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, emphasising Jordan’s humanitarian commitment and the pressures associated with hosting large refugee populations.
He called for sustained international support to ensure dignified living conditions for refugees while safeguarding the resilience of host communities.
As funding constraints deepen, maintaining essential assistance will remain a significant challenge. The WFP and its partners stress that without urgent and sustained donor support, the risk of worsening food insecurity among vulnerable refugees in Jordan will continue to rise.
