AMMAN — A recent study, conducted in collaboration between
the
World Food Program (WFP) and the
Department of Statistics (DoS), has unveiled a 40
percent decrease in purchasing power for beneficiaries of the food program in
camps and local communities. This decline followed the reduction in cash
transfers provided to them, decreasing from JD23 to JD15 since July 2023.
اضافة اعلان
The reduction in assistance coincided with inflation in
food prices, leading to a "loss of purchasing power." The program
continues to provide monthly food assistance to approximately 410,000
vulnerable refugees in camps and host communities, with a one-third reduction
in cash transfers, Al-Ghad reported.
This decision comes after the program declared facing an
"unprecedented financial crisis" and, having "exhausted all
options," reduced the cash assistance by one-third for all
refugees living outside the camps in Jordan.
The study, conducted at the end of the previous year and
published recently, indicated that the Jordanian economy remained stable
despite regional challenges, including the conflict between Israel and Gaza. It
noted that despite the
Gaza crisis in early October, the cost of the most
consumed food basket for WFP beneficiaries remained stable until November.
However, the average cost of food in the host community is higher compared to
the camps, and it has been increasing since July 2023.
Despite a 1.4 percent decrease in overall food price
inflation in November, the cost of the most consumed food basket for
WFP beneficiaries in the host community remained unchanged, the study mentioned.
The WFP had previously warned about global food security, estimating that every
1 percent reduction in food assistance threatens over 400,000 people with the
brink of famine.
The report, titled "Estimating the Impact of
WFP Assistance Reductions on Food Security," stated that the program seeks
significant cuts in food rations in most of its operations due to decreasing
international humanitarian funding. It emphasized that the food aid it provides
is a vital lifeline, often the "sole difference preventing them from
famine."
The report warned that an additional 24 million people could
slip into "acute hunger" in 2024, representing a 50 percent increase
from the current levels. More than 40 million people in 51 countries are
expected to face emergency or worse levels of acute
food insecurity in 2023,
exposing them to the risk of disaster or famine without immediate life-saving
assistance and livelihood support - an increase from 29 million in 2019.
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