WFP supports Agriculture Ministry with tree planting, cleaning event

AMMAN — Some 200 trees were recently planted by the employees of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Jalaad, as a way to support the Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA) efforts to replenish the Balqa Governorate area.

The WFP’s 170 staff members have joined forces to contribute to the protection of the local environment and raise awareness on the need to safeguard Jordan’s natural resources.

“It was a great opportunity to engage our staff in this activity as they got to experience what some of our WFP beneficiaries do in the field,” WFP Country Director Mageed Yahia told The Jordan Times.

The personnel also proceeded to clean up the nearby Scandinavian forest, ridding it of the litter scattered by regular picnickers. 

Mohammad Ismail, programme officer at WFP expressed his happiness to participate in this awareness raising event. “It was really nice to be part of this green effort as it is much needed in some of the country’s natural sites,” he told The Jordan Times.

For Yahia, the cleaning event went beyond the mere collection of trash: “It was not only about cleaning the garbage in the Scandinavian forest, as it will surely reappear in a small amount of time. But it was mostly about sharing a message on the need to contribute to the environment and society by never leaving any place with dirt behind us.” 

Donors and private sector partnerships officer at WFP Faten Al Hindi said: “I could not believe that this area exists in Jordan, only 25km away from Amman. In the future, I will come back here to see those 200 small plants turned into a beautiful green forest.”

She voiced her pride to be part of the greening effort, stressing the need to raise her entourage’s awareness on the small changes that can be done to preserve the environment.

The cleaning event came as part of the WFP’s work in Jordan which aims to support Jordanians and over a million of Syrian refugees through a variety of projects.

“This day helped us make Jordan greener and cleaner through our partnership with the MOA which facilitated the activity and participated in the planting process by giving us support and technical guidance,” Hindi concluded.