German donation to WFP staves off hunger for Syrian refugees in Jordan

Germany announced on Sunday that it would donate an additional US$10.8 million to the World Food Programme (WFP), which would prevent the suspension of food aid to 410,000 refugees in Jordan in October.

"We are glad that our contribution will help to avoid that vulnerable refugee families in Jordan are cut off from much-needed food assistance," the German Chargé d'Affaires, Dr Florian Reindel, said.

The cash boost comes after the WFP warned of an "unprecedented funding crisis" that would impair their ability to provide assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned that Jordan would be unable to foot the bill and urged donor countries to plug the funding gap.

"This is not on Jordan," FM Safadi said. "It is on those who are cutting support. We can't carry this burden alone."

Jordan hosts some 1.3 million Syrian refugees, over 60 per cent of whom are food insecure.

The WFP provided direct cash assistance to over 465,000 refugees in Jordan in 2023 to help them secure their food needs.

"We are deeply grateful for this vital contribution from Germany, which has arrived at a critical moment when WFP was facing the unavoidable scenario of suspending food assistance," WFP representative and country director in Jordan Alberto Correia Mendes, said.

The WFP said it would need an additional $10 million in funding to stave off cuts in assistance in November.

NGOs working on the Syrian response have faced challenges in securing funding since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the accompanying rise in global food prices.

In July, funding shortfalls forced the WFP to cut food and cash assistance to nearly half the 5.5 million people it supports in Syria.

The aid cuts come as global food inflation hits unprecedented levels, particularly in the Middle East.