AMMAN: The World Food Programme said on Tuesday it is cutting the value of monthly aid to the 119,000 Syrian refugees is assists in Jordan’s Zaatari and Azraq camps by a third because of lack of funding.
Beginning in August, refugees will receive a cash transfer of $21 each month, compared with the current $32, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Alberto Correa Mendez, the WFP’s country director in Jordan, said the organization is “concerned” about declining food security among refugee families resulting from lack of funding, and that the cuts were likely to lead to an increase in “negative coping mechanisms” among those who rely on aid, including child labor, young people dropping out of school, child marriage, and growing levels of debt, which have risen by 25 percent among refugees in camps since 2022.
Despite the cut in aid, and the exclusion of about 50,000 people from relief efforts so that the most vulnerable can be prioritized, the WFP said it still faces a $41 million funding gap this year. However, it praised the people and government of Jordan for their years of support for Syrian refugees.
Mendez vowed to continue working with partners and donors in an effort to develop more long term solutions.
