Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

Crisis affected populations in Jordan, including refugees, meet their food and nutrition needs throughout the year (Strategic Outcome 1).

Expected results

The contribution from Austria will help WFP ensure vulnerable refugees in camps and communities are able to meet their immediate basic food and nutrition needs, hence supporting Jordan’s ability to address the impact of hosting refugees.

The Austrian funds will enable WFP to respond to the basic food requirements of food insecure refugees through general food assistance in the form of cash-based transfers (CBT) in refugee camps (Azraq, Zaatri & King Abdullah Park) and in host communities.

Target group / Beneficiaries

With the funding from Austria, WFP will be able to support an estimated total of 31,907 vulnerable refugees targeted under the proposed activities for one month: Men: 7,693; Women: 8,238; Boys: 8,284; Girls: 7,691. This includes refugees living in dedicated refugee camps or in Jordanian host communities.

Partners: WFP’s response is fully aligned with the Government of Jordan at national and local levels, and the strategies outlined under the Jordan Response Plan. WFP coordinates with all relevant agencies including government ministries, UNHCR and UNICEF as well as national and international NGOs. For the implementation of activities, WFP works with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in both Zaatari and Azraq camps while ACTED and Save the Children Jordan support the implementation of WFP’s activities in host communities.

Activities

WFP has been providing food assistance to Syrian refugees since the beginning of the crisis. More recently, it has extended this support to refugees from other countries. Currently the organisation supports around half a million refugees living in refugee camps and Jordanians communities across the country.

Austria’s support will contribute to WFP’s response to the food needs of refugees living in camps and communities. In Azraq, Zaatri and King Abdullah Park camps, WFP provides a total of 112,000 Syrian refugees with food assistance in the form of food restricted electronic vouchers valued at JOD 23 (EUR 28.74) per person per month, redeemable at contracted shops and bakeries in the camps facilitated through blockchain and iris-scan technologies. The use of these innovative technologies has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of food assistance, reduced transaction costs and ensured faster response to any problems that may arise through a real-time record of transactions. Food assistance through food restricted electronic vouchers provides a sense of dignity and empowerment to beneficiaries and, in the current context of the pandemic, allows them to prioritise the use of funds according to their household budget and food needs.

In host communities, WFP reaches a total of 353,000 refugees with unrestricted cash transfers redeemable through ATMs, at contracted shops, or both. Refugees in host community classified as “extremely vulnerable” receive JOD 23 (EUR 28.74) while those classified as “vulnerable” to food insecurity receive JOD15 (EUR 18.70) per person per month.

Context

Jordan is an upper-middle-income, resource-poor, food-deficit country with limited agricultural land, dwindling energy and scarce water resources. The country carries the social, economic, and environmental burden of hosting over 1.3 million refugees, of which 759,716 are registered with UNHCR.COVID-19 has exacerbated both existing structural weaknesses in the economy and unresolved social challenges, putting more pressure on the country’s fragile macroeconomic state.

Many refugees have lost their employment since the onset of COVID-19.WFP monitoring showed that in September 2021, 57% of the heads of household refugees in the community were unemployed. In addition, 90% of those who said they had work were in temporary, short-term employment. Most refugees are therefore still experiencing economic hardship, as evidenced by a steady decrease in average household income.

The loss of livelihood opportunities has exacerbated poverty and food insecurity rates among refugee households in camps and communities, forcing refugees to remain very reliant on WFP’s food assistance which continues to provide a lifeline to many households; WFP assistance represents on average over 52% of household income for refugees in host communities and 69% of income for families in the refugee camps.

Without WFP assistance, 97% of refugees would be below the poverty line and 73% would be below the absolute poverty line. However, with WFP assistance, while 94% of refugees remain below the poverty line, only 37% are below the absolute poverty line. This shows the impact of WFP food assistance despite the limited transfer values; WFP’s support is keeping most refugee households above the absolute poverty line and therefore largely able to meet their food needs.