Jerash Gaza Camp

- With the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, the poor and needy in Jordan are looking forward to the arrival of financial aid and food parcels that will provide them with part of their food needs during the holy month, but the reality was different from expectations.

Charitable societies suffer from a decline in cash and food aid, which is reflected on the recipients of the service from the needy, in addition to the increase in the number of aid seekers, as a result of the repercussions of the Corona crisis, and the accompanying financial crisis that the Kingdom is going through, and a state of economic stagnation.

At the gates of the Palestinian Affairs Department in the Gaza camp in Jerash governorate (northern Jordan), dozens of aid seekers and those waiting for promised food parcels are lining up to secure an Iftar meal or Ramadan Suhoor.

About 2.4 million Jordanians suffer from poverty, after poverty rates increased from 15% in 2019 to 24% in 2021 after Corona

wholesale difficulties

Fifty-year-old Youssef Al-Khatib, who was submerged in rainwater while waiting in line to get a food parcel, told Al-Jazeera Net, "Aid has become scarce, and good people have been affected by damage, so that life has become more difficult and difficult."

Al-Khatib lost his job in the poultry farm where he worked, so he needed alms to support 8 people.

Nayfeh al-Mahr, who is waiting for a bag of rice to feed 4 handicapped sons, shares the waiting line in the sixties.

Every person who is waiting for his food parcel has a story of pain and sadness, from a young man who lost his job and became a burden on his family, to a girl who lost her husband, leaving her orphans looking for food and medicine.

About 2.4 million Jordanians suffer from poverty, according to the statistics of the Jordanian Ministry of Planning, after poverty rates in Jordan increased from 15% in 2019, exceeding 24% in 2021 after Corona.

Beneficiary of charitable parcels in Jordan (Al-Jazeera)

vehicle crisis

The state of decline in spending on the charitable sector was attributed by specialists to the decline in the various economic, commercial, industrial and production sectors, which was reflected in the decline in their ability to provide aid to charitable societies.

The head of the Islamic Center Society, Jamil Al-Dhaisat, estimates the rate of decline in spending on the charitable sector in its various health, food and financial aspects by about 50%.

And he added - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that the associations are suffering from a complex crisis, so the people requesting services from the needy and those affected by the pandemic, especially the employers of small professions and day laborers, their numbers increased, and this was offset by a decrease in the size and quantity of charitable aid provided to the associations, which affected the recipients of services significantly, It is expected that this situation will continue in Ramadan and the coming months as the repercussions of the pandemic continue.

The problem of successive rises in the prices of basic foodstuffs, which prevented the purchase of the necessary quantities for the processing of food parcels and medical materials, added to the suffering of charities and aid recipients.

The Islamic Center Society provides 35,000 monthly guarantees for orphans and poor people, with a guarantee value ranging from 50 to 100 dinars (70-140 dollars), through 65 charitable centers spread across the governorates of the Kingdom, comprising 600 employees, in addition to 17 medical centers. A student of knowledge, its annual expenditures are about 24 million dinars (33 million dollars).

Donations scarce

The commercial sector was affected by the decline in food aid to charitable societies. The merchant, Muhammad Al-Ra’i, was preparing about 5,000 food parcels a few days before the start of Ramadan, the value of each parcel being about 30 dinars ($42), as it contains sugar, rice, grains and cooking oils, but it is in the current season. Only 800 packages have been prepared so far, he tells Al Jazeera Net.

Al-Rahi believes that the reason for this is the increase in food prices of oils and grains, in addition to the decline in the financial capabilities of donors, as a result of the difficult economic situation that the Kingdom is going through.

The private sector is suffering from the consequences of the Corona pandemic, which has negatively affected the scarcity of relief aid, and has led to a decline in the role of these associations in the social protection they provide to beneficiaries, whether they are poor, orphans or people with disabilities, which makes it difficult for them to live a decent life.

In the face of the increasing price hike, the association's president, Mohamed Obeidat, warned of the danger of not being able to provide food for families and the exacerbation of the problem of hunger

consumer protection

Commodity price hikes affected about 50 basic commodities, and the prices of 55 other commodities were stable, according to a study by the Consumer Protection Association, which included 105 commodities during the past year 2021 and early this year.

In the face of the increasing price hike, the association's president, Muhammad Obeidat, warned - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - of the danger of the inability to secure food for families and the exacerbation of the problem of hunger, especially since these rises were not accompanied by an increase in workers' wages and the stability of their income and the failure of the authorities to link wages to the state of annual inflation.

The price hikes in Jordan affected 50 basic commodities (Al-Jazeera)

The results of the study showed an increase in the prices of basic commodities in the food basket of Jordanians, most notably:

  • 8% processed milk

  • chicken eggs 10%

  • sugar 25%

  • rice 14%

  • pasta 17%

  • Canned beans, peas, chickpeas and broad beans 20%

  • vegetable oil 65%

  • Legumes such as chickpeas, crushed lentils and beans 21%

  • White and red meat 20%

  • detergents 20%

Red eye

To confront these rises, Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh announced a few days ago that his government intervened with the rule of law in order to "reduce price exaggerations and fight monopoly, secure goods for citizens at fair prices, and deal with a red-eye with anyone who tampered with the citizen's power, especially with the advent of the month of Ramadan."

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply announced setting price ceilings for a number of commodities, most notably vegetable oils, fresh chicken, rebar, cement and others, to face the series of rises, in addition to securing commodities at moderate prices in the civilian and military consumer institutions.

Merchants complain about the decline in demand for food parcels in Jordan (Al-Jazeera)

Upcoming heights

On the other hand, the commercial sector talks about a number of reasons that led to the rise in food prices, including their rise in the countries of origin, stopping the export of food commodities, the disruption of commercial supply chains with the Corona pandemic, and the increase in freight rates, and these reasons have deepened a lot since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine.

The head of the Food Traders Syndicate, Khalil Al-Haj Tawfiq, believes that prices will witness further increases in the coming months, due to the crisis of the Russian-Ukrainian war, especially since Jordan imports 85% of its food from abroad.

The Jordanian economy suffers from the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war and its impact on global supply chains, the rise in oil prices, and the export movement after countries decided to stop exporting.