Jordan country strategic plan (2023–2027)

CSP approved at EB November 2022 session

Jordan is a middle-income country with 11.2 million people, including 3.4 million non-citizens (refugees and migrant workers). The country hosts the second-highest share of refugees per capita in the world, putting unprecedented pressure on its budgetary and natural resources, infrastructure and labour market. Over the past decade, Jordan’s stagnating economy has failed to create jobs to meet the requirements of its rapidly growing, and largely urban, population. Furthermore, Jordan is a semi-arid country, facing chronic water scarcity and a growing set of climate hazards.

In this context Jordan faces three main drivers of food insecurity: a protracted refugee crisis, with 1.3 million Syrian refugees and 90,000 refugees of other origin, many of whom cannot meet their food needs independently; a difficult socioeconomic situation, exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the global food price increases triggered by the Ukraine crisis, with high unemployment and increasing poverty affecting people’s economic access to food; and increasingly frequent climate-related shocks that, combined with chronic water scarcity, undermine sustainable national development.

The country strategic plan for 2023–2027 represents WFP’s contribution to addressing food insecurity in Jordan, aligning with the priorities of the Government, including the Jordan 2025 strategy, as well as the United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework for 2023–2027. The country strategic plan contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 4, 11 and 17, both directly and indirectly.

WFP will build on experience, lessons learned, comparative advantages and collaboration with humanitarian and development stakeholders to respond to growing food and nutrition needs and contribute to building long-term solutions for refugees. It will continue its large-scale provision of unconditional food assistance for vulnerable populations in Jordan, including refugees, and its technical assistance for national social protection programmes and systems, refocus its education and nutrition activities and expand its climate action to strengthen adaptive livelihoods, sustainable management of natural resources and food systems.

The country strategic plan will continue to refine existing operations to achieve five outcomes:

➢ Outcome 1: Vulnerable crisis-affected populations in Jordan, including refugees, meet their food and nutrition needs throughout the year.

➢ Outcome 2: Extremely vulnerable populations in Jordan, including refugees, are covered by adequate social protection schemes by 2027.

➢ Outcome 3: Vulnerable populations in Jordan, including refugees, have improved selfreliance, access to sustainable livelihood opportunities and increased resilience to shocks by 2027.

➢ Outcome 4: National and subnational institutions in Jordan have increased capacity to coordinate, manage and monitor food security and nutrition programmes, and respond to shocks by 2027.

➢ Outcome 5: Humanitarian and development actors have enhanced ability to support vulnerable populations in Jordan all year round through on-demand cash-based transfer services.

Inclusion of gender, youth and disability, nutrition-sensitive programming, protection, community engagement for accountability to affected populations, environmental sustainability and promotion of public-private partnerships for innovative food security solutions are mainstreamed throughout the portfolio.