UAE’S 100 MILLION MEALS CAMPAIGN DELIVERS HELP TO THE NEEDY IN JORDAN
▶ Kingdom is one of dozens of countries to benefit from the initiative in Ramadan
The UAE’s 100 Million Meals campaign is helping to ease the hardships facing many Jordanians during Ramadan this year.
On the southern outskirts of Amman last week, Jordan Food Bank staff packed cheese, halawa, cooking oil, sugar, tuna and other canned food in large cardboard boxes adorned with the UAE flag.
“Many people only have bread and tea for their iftar. These parcels will help,” said Kawther Al Qatarneh, president of Jordan Food Bank.
Jordan is one of dozens of countries served by the initiative started last month by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to provide 100 million meals in the Middle East, Africa and Asia throughout the holy month.
Ramadan began soon after Jordan marked its centennial on April 11.
The country of about 10 million people celebrated the occasion and the streets of Amman and other major cities were decorated with flags.
At about the same time, a dispute in the Jordanian royal family prompted international calls for continued stability.
The recession that started last year shows little sign of easing, despite the recent relaxation of coronavirus restrictions.
The authorities announced that movement restrictions would be eased from Friday, with people required to remain at home only between 7pm and 6am.
Worshippers are permitted to go to mosque for most prayers, having been barred from attending evening and Friday prayers.
Ms Al Qatarneh said that one parcel funded by the UAE initiative would be enough to feed a family of five for the whole of Ramadan.
The parcels will mostly be distributed among Syrian refugees and Jordanian families in need.
Ms Al Qatarneh said it gave her “a great and thankful feeling” to see people smile when they received the parcels.
“You are safe in your house and you have food, but many people are not,” she said.
Charity worker Sael Khleifat said he drove a van to the food bank to receive 50 parcels for an initiative he ran in the southern town of Wadi Musa.
The unemployment rate in Jordan is at 24 per cent, a record in the kingdom.
The authorities increased this year’s emergency funding for poor families by 38 per cent to $280 million.
Construction worker Hamady Khalaf said he had been unable to find regular work since the pandemic started.
“There has been less work,” he said.
He had no choice but to seek assistance from the food bank, he said.
Last month, the UAE said low-income families, refugees, orphans and widows in Jordan, Egypt and Pakistan received food to help them prepare meals during the holy month.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, which organised the 100 Million Meals campaign, joined international and local partners in each country that benefits from the initiative.
The organisation and the UN World Food Programme will also distribute cash vouchers to the needy in Palestinian territories and refugee camps in Jordan and Bangladesh. The vouchers can be used at food banks.
The UAE reached its Dh100m ($27.2m) target for the 100 Million Meals campaign in only 10 days. The total was reached thanks to the generosity of 185,000 donors inside and outside the Emirates.
The public could fund 10 meals by donating Dh10.