AMMAN —
Norwegian Ambassador
Espen Lindbeck and the representative of the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Jordan, Nabil Assaf, signed a $1.5 million
agreement to enhance food security and job opportunities in Jordan, the Jordan
News Agency, Petra, reported.
اضافة اعلان
Funded by Norway,
the “Transition to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable
agro-food systems” project targets Jordanians and Syrian refugees by enhancing
their capabilities to participate in a sustainable and effective agricultural
food system, building their capacities to create job opportunities, and
strengthening the resilience of the target groups against poverty.
Agriculture
Minister Khaled Hneifat appreciated the role played by the Norwegian Embassy
and
FAO in supporting sustainable agriculture.
Hneifat
emphasized the need to join efforts to serve the interests of Jordanians in
rural areas, find opportunities to support rural communities and women, and
implement projects aimed at optimal utilization of available water resources to
achieve food security and preserve water resources.
Lindbeck said
that the project aims to promote the transition to more efficient, inclusive,
resilient and sustainable agricultural food systems in Jordan, explaining that
it is “necessary” to address challenges in the agricultural sector to enhance
food security for Jordanians and refugees in marginalized communities.
“We are pleased
that FAO is implementing this project in close coordination with the Ministry
of Agriculture in a way that meets the goals of the Jordanian government to
ensure food security in the Kingdom and develop sustainable methods of
agriculture,” he said.
Assaf said: “The
agro-food sector in Jordan supports the livelihoods of about a quarter of the
population, and there is an urgent need to support food security.”
“It provides job
opportunities for refugees and women in rural communities,” Assaf said.
“This project is in
line with the second priority of FAO and the Government of Jordan; sustainable
agriculture and natural resource management. It is also in line with regional
initiatives on water scarcity and building resilience to enhance food
security,” he added.
The project’s
goal is to achieve sustainable food security among Syrian refugees and host
communities in rural areas by enhancing their ability to participate in
sustainable agro-food systems, and building their capacities through an
integrated training program to create decent job opportunities.
The project will
address capacity building, financing, and employment needs through activities
related to capacity strengthening, distribution of tools, access to
microfinance markets and job creation.
Norway’s
agreement with FAO comes a day after Germany committed 21.5 million euros
($22.2million) in additional assistance to the
World Food Program (WFP), and
the refugee agency UNHCR in Jordan, citing its desire to help cover part of the
needs of Jordan-based refugees amid rising fuel and food prices in the wake of
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A German Embassy
statement said WFP will get 20 million euros ($20.6 million) in additional aid
this year and in 2023, while UNHCR is allocated more assistance worth 1.5
million euros ($1.6 million).
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