The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Jordan on Monday welcomed a timely contribution from the government of Canada that helped the agency reverse planned cuts in food assistance for 110,000 refugees, according to a WFP statement. 

The shortage of funds has made it difficult for WFP to provide vital monthly food assistance to half a million refugees in Jordan. 

WFP had already been forced to stop food assistance to 21,000 vulnerable refugees in July due to a lack of funds and was concerned that further cuts to another 110,000 refugees were unavoidable in September. 

However, the Canadian government stepped in with emergency funding of $3.2 million to maintain this monthly assistance for another month.

"WFP is grateful for the Canadian government’s continuous support to the refugee crisis in Jordan, supporting us once again to avert food assistance cuts to tens of thousands of refugees. However, WFP’s funding situation remains critical; the organisation urgently needs a further $53 million to maintain food assistance to half a million vulnerable refugees during October, November and December 2021,” said Alberto Correia Mendes, representative and country director for WFP in Jordan. 

"Canada is committed to supporting WFP’s efforts to provide food assistance and other humanitarian needs in Jordan. We are happy to provide assistance at a critical time for WFP,” said Donica Pottie, Canada’s ambassador to Jordan. 

Since the beginning of 2021, the Canadian government has contributed $12.6 million to support WFP’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan.

More than a quarter of refugees in Jordan are already food insecure and an additional 65 per cent are on the edge of food insecurity, the statement said.