WFP earmarks $699.5m for 2-year operation in Jordan

AMMAN — The World Food Programme (WFP) has allocated $699,563,116 for its operations in the Kingdom for the two-year period of January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022, according to the country strategic plan (CSP) report. 

"Jordan is an upper-middle-income country that has weathered a series of shocks in the last decade, notably the Syrian and Iraqi crises, which triggered an unprecedented influx of refugees, disrupted trade and lowered investments,” the report said

According to the report, Jordan currently hosts 665,000 Syrian refugees and 90,000 refugees of other nationalities registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), noting that it has put social, economic and environmental strains on the Kingdom. 

As a response, the CSP aims to direct the WFP's effort toward providing humanitarian assistance not only for existing crises, but also for possible future crises, while focusing on a wider target than Syrian refugees, the report said.

The WFP will work on building the Kingdom's resilience through supporting social protection and livelihoods, the report said, noting that the plan will focus on empowering women and young people. 

The CSP has four strategic outcomes. The first is meeting the nutritional needs of crisis-affected populations, including refugees, throughout the year. The second is covering vulnerable populations, including children, "through adequate social protection schemes by 2022".

The third outcome is enabling women and the youth to become more self-reliant and have better livelihood opportunities by 2022, while the fourth lies in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Jordan through "effective and innovative solutions from WFP and its partners by 2022".

"This CSP starts a rebalancing of WFP’s portfolio towards Jordan itself, as the country faces increasing challenges," the report stated, adding that strengthening national capacity will be prioritised to "deliver transformative results" for residents of Jordan who are lacking economic opportunities. 

The report’s country analysis section states that "Jordan has a population of 10 million that is predominantly urban [90 per cent] and young [74 per cent below age 30]", adding that 30 per cent of the population is non-resident, including a high proportion of refugees.