Jordan dispatches wheat, grain aid to West Bank to alleviate humanitarian crisis

AMMAN — Jordan dispatched 10 trucks carrying wheat to the West Bank as part of Royal Directives to allocate 45,000 tonnes of wheat and grain to the West Bank, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times. 

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yousef Shamali and Minister of Communication Muhannad Mubaideen held a press conference on Thursday and announced that a total of 30,000 tonnes of wheat and 15,000 tonnes of grain from Jordan’s national reserve will be sent to the West Bank. 

“This initiative, executed in line with a decision by the Cabinet, aims to provide essential food supplies to those in need,” Shamali added.

Political Analyst Oraib Rantawi told The Jordan Times that Jordan is playing a vital role in providing humanitarian aid and medical aid to the West Bank and Gaza.

Providing 45,000 of wheat and grains is “sharing all means” with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, Rantawi said. This is a big number not only to Jordan but to other Arab countries.

“The West bank is suffering as well, not just Gaza,” Rantawi added.

Rantawi highlighted that the West Bank, like Gaza, has experienced various restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which have a significant impact on the economy and the daily lives of its residents.

Checkpoints, barriers and security measures are impeding the physical movement and the economic activities of Palestinians within the West Bank, Rantawi said. 

“The West Bank is facing restrictions and challenges that have not received as much international attention or condemnation as the well-documented blockade on the Gaza Strip,” Rantawi said. 

Economist Hussam Ayesh told The Jordan Times that the decision to provide wheat and grains from Jordan’s reserves to the West Bank is a noble one and is a result ofthe “unannounced siege” on the West Bank.

“Jordan’s monthly consumption of wheat stands at 90,000 tonnes,” Ayesh said. 

Jordan has a strategic reserve of wheat that lasts between 12-15 months, Ayesh added, noting that Jordan has a long-term plan to increase the capacity wheat and grains in the national reserve.

“The decision to allocate a substantial quantity of wheat and grains from Jordan’s national reserves to support the people in the West Bank is a commendable act of humanitarian aid,” Ayesh said.

Jordan is the first country to contribute to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with JD3 million ensuring its support of the people of Gaza, Shamali was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as saying at Thursday’s press conference

He added that the Kingdom sent six trucks of medicine to the West Bank last week, air-dropped medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza under the direct supervision of His Majesty King Abdullah recently and dispatched four relief planes to El Arish Airport in Egypt to be delivered to hospitals in the Gaza Strip via UNRWA.

Minister of Government Communications Muhannad Mubaidin, who is also the government spokesperson, affirmed that the wheat and grain shipments aim at supporting Palestinians in the West Bank, who are facing a shortage of wheat stock and continuous harassment from the Israeli occupation. 

He emphasised ongoing Royal directives to continue sending Jordanian aid to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

On the political level, Jordan has continued to call for international support for a ceasefire, prevention of the forced displacement of the people of Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid into the Gaza Strip, he said, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.