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Ammon News - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday welcomed a timely and generous top-up contribution of $20 million from the Federal Republic of Germany that will help avert planned cuts in food assistance for 110,000 refugees in October.

German Ambassador in Jordan Bernhard Kampmann announced the contribution at a joint press conference at the WFP headquarters in Amman, reaffirming his country’s commitment to supporting the Government of Jordan and WFP in addressing the food needs of around half a million refugees in Jordan.

"We are glad that the increase of our funding is coming just in time to avoid the impending cuts in food assistance. In times of growing needs, vulnerable refugee families need continued support," Ambassador Kampmann said. "We are a strong supporter of WFP worldwide and here in Jordan, where the organization plays a key role in providing for Syrian refugees living in camps and urban areas. We are very grateful for the great work WFP is doing in collaboration with the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the local host communities."

The funds, provided by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, will enable WFP to continue supporting vulnerable refugees from Syria and other countries living in camps and communities across the Kingdom to meet their food and nutritional needs until the end of the year.

"This contribution could not have come at a better time as WFP had been faced with the unavoidable and very hard choice of having to implement cuts to its assistance in only a couple days from now," said Representative and Country Director to WFP in Jordan, Alberto Correia Mendes. "WFP is grateful for the continuous support of the people and Government of Germany to the refugee response in Jordan, especially at a time when refugees have been pushed deeper into poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse economic effects."

Thanks to Germany’s contribution, WFP can continue to meet the immediate food needs of vulnerable refugees, especially female-headed families and families with disabilities.

WFP had already been forced to stop food assistance to 21,000 vulnerable refugees in July due to a lack of funds.

In 2021, Germany is the single largest donor to WFP in Jordan contributing a total of $86.8 million in support of WFP’s refugee response in the country. This includes this most recent top-up of humanitarian funding and a contribution of $6.4 million provided through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in support WFP’s school feeding, livelihoods, and social protection programmes in 2021.

The contribution is part of Germany’s global humanitarian efforts, providing more than US$2.75 billion dollar in 2021 to alleviate suffering and assist people in need. Germany is the world’s second largest donor state for humanitarian assistance.