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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wissam Rabadi and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director and Representative Sarah Gordon-Gibson on Sunday signed a $700-million agreement to provide assistance to one million vulnerable Jordanians and refugees, within the framework of the WFP’s Country Strategic Plan for 2020–2022.

Over the next three years, WFP will provide assistance for existing and future crises, with a focus on supporting refugees, transitioning to resilience building, and supporting the social protection and livelihoods of Jordanians, as well as building the capacity of national institutions. Emphasis will be put on the empowerment of women and young people.

Rabadi, who signed the agreement on behalf of the government, calls on the international community to continue their generous support to enable the government to provide a sustainable, strategic, and holistic coordination mechanism in response to crises, as well as ensuring sufficient funding to decrease the current vulnerabilities of Jordanians alongside Syrian refugees in Jordan.

The minister also lauded WFP’s efforts in support of the Kingdom throughout the years and its response in addressing the impacts of the Syrian crisis, which has helped Jordan in staying resilient especially amidst the challenging regional crises that continue to put a toll on Jordan. Rabadi highlighted that through its range of activities, WFP has injected US$ 207 million into the local ‎economy in 2019.

With a budget of nearly USD 700 million, the Country Strategic Plan rebalances WFP’s portfolio towards the needs of Jordan and Jordanians, as the country faces increasing challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 1964, WFP has been a strategic and operational partner of the government of Jordan. The CSP is aligned with national priorities as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (2018–2022), and aims at improving the food security, nutrition, gender equality, education, resilience and social protection of vulnerable populations in Jordan.

"I am delighted to sign this agreement. It is a clear indication of WFP’s commitment to working with and supporting the Government of Jordan in its path towards a sustainable and resilient country. The CSP reflects the first step towards a longer-term approach, to enable the Kingdom to realize the goals of its Vision 2025 and achieve Agenda 2030. This means moving from direct implementation, to supporting and strengthening government and community-based capacities to meet the needs of vulnerable groups and promote social cohesion within communities", said Sarah Gordon-Gibson, WFP’s Country Director and Representative.

The Country Strategic Plan, through four strategic outcomes, contributes directly to SDGs 2 and 17, and supporting SDGs 1, 5, 8 and 13. While driving innovation and together with partners, WFP is supporting half a million refugees living in camps and communities with monthly cash assistance to meet their food needs. The school feeding programme provides healthy daily snacks to over 400,000 Jordanian and refugee school children.

Employment opportunities will be created for around 127,000 vulnerable people through income generating activities to improve their food security, as well as to build community assets that contribute to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Capacity strengthening activities include supporting the Government in reforming and expanding national social protection schemes, enhancing emergency preparedness and response capabilities, and contributing to the food security and nutrition sector.