A pproximately 2,000 Christian families in Jordan have been reached with food.gives boxes filled with food aid from Barnabas Aid’s generous supporters. The recipients include Jordanian Christians and Christian refugees in Jordan from Yemen, Syria and Iraq. More than three million refugees currently live in Jordan, a huge number accounting for a third of the country’s population.

Jordan has been badly hit both by the ravages of the pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis. Villages and impoverished urban districts, as well as refugee communities, have not recovered from the effects of Covid and have struggled to make ends meet as prices of goods have soared and unemployment has risen.

The arrival of two 20-foot containers of aid sent from the UK has brought timely relief to Christians in Jordan struggling to provide for their families (the first of these was reported in our last issue – see Barnabas Aid January/February, p.5). 

Prior to this two 40-foot food.gives containers – one from Australia and the other from the US – carried urgently needed food aid to hundreds of Christian families. A second 40-foot container carrying dried soup mix is now heading from the US to Jordan, with a third 20-foot container from the UK to follow.

The boxes contain dry food items provided by our generous supporters – rice, lentils, chickpeas, flour and salt. These basic items enable families to make nourishing meals. Our project partner in Jordan has been able to make use of the flour supplied through food.gives by working with bakeries in areas populated by refugees to provide good quality bread instead of the cheap, inferior bread they would otherwise have to rely on.

Sixty families in the growing community of refugees from Yemen near Amman, Jordan’s capital, are among the grateful recipients. Some of the Yemenis became Christians before fleeing the conflict and persecution in their country, but a larger percentage have come to faith in Christ since arriving in Jordan. The community has grown in numbers and faith in recent years.

Around 200 Iraqi Christian families attending two churches also received food.gives boxes. Aid was also directed to all the families in four predominantly Christian villages in the south of Jordan, near Karak. 

The aid was most gratefully received as refugees are not allowed to work and the majority of Christian refugees rely solely on aid from churches and NGOs. Jordanian Christians are also struggling to find employment. 

“They were very thankful and send their prayers for the sending families and organisation,” our project partner reports. 

Distribution was made through local churches. Our partner commented on the strong links established to maintain food security for the families affected. “We give praise for all the churches that are willing to host refugees and work with us to provide aid to them,” he says, “and the families who are willing to share their painful stories and continue to demonstrate strong faith in God’s enduring love.”