Support for the National School Feeding Programme

This Ooeration has been modified as per budget revision 3 (see below).

Despite high overall levels of food security, Jordan has pockets of food insecurity where the population is seriously affected by the protracted economic crisis and events in neighbouring Syrian Arab Republic. Government budget constraints on  social safety-net expenditures  –caused by the economic crisis – have led to a reduction of almost 80 percent in the national school feeding programme.

The Government has requested WFP to resume direct food support for schoolchildren in very vulnerable areas, to pre-empt the negative impact of these significant cuts and to prevent a reversal of the country’s significant achievements in education – notably high enrolment and low drop-out rates. The Government remains committed to school feeding as a safety net and will contribute directly to the programme by supplementing the food provided and financing all landside transport, storage and handling costs.

The Government has also requested WFP’s technical assistance in making the national school feeding programme more effective and efficient. Working with non-governmental organizations, other United Nations agencies and development partners WFP will provide policy advice and technical support to augment the Government’s capacity and improve the quality and sustainability of the programme.

The project is in line with priorities of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Jordan (2013–2017) and contributes to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 1 and 2 and WFP’s Strategic Objectives 4 and 5.

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The proposed budget revision 3 is to accommodate an increase in the overall project budget that allows the receipt and programming of a new commodity - date paste from directed resources for the school feeding programme; and extend the project by six months from 1 July through 31 December 2016.