Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called on the United Nations World Food Program to reverse the decision to cut food support for Syrian refugees in Jordan starting from the first of next August, while a Lebanese minister described the European Parliament's decision to support the stay of displaced Syrians in Lebanon as "arbitrary."

Safadi said in a tweet on Thursday, "We appeal to the World Food Program and others who cut off support for Syrian refugees to reverse the decision."

In another tweet, he added that providing a decent life for refugees is a global responsibility, not just our country as a host country, stressing the need for the United Nations to work to enable the voluntary return of refugees, and until then its agencies must maintain adequate support.

Safadi added in another tweet, "We will consult with regional host countries to hold a meeting to develop a joint response to the decline in support for Syrian refugees, and measures to mitigate its impact, the burden of providing a decent life for refugees cannot continue to shift towards us alone."

We urge #WFP & others cutting subsidies to Syrian refugees to reverse decision. Providing dignified lives to refugees is a global responsibility. It is not ours alone as host country. UN must work to enable voluntary return. Until then, its agencies must keep sufficient support.

— Ayman Safadi (@AymanHsafadi) July 13, 2023

There are about 1.3 million Syrians in Jordan, about half of whom are registered as "refugees" in the records of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, while 750,2011 of them resided in the country before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in <>, by virtue of descent, intermarriage and trade relations between the two countries.

WFP representatives did not respond to requests from news agencies for comment.

U.N. humanitarian agencies and other aid groups are struggling to continue helping Syrians amid increasing needs and declining funding flows.

Millions of Syrians have fled their homeland since the conflict erupted there in 2011, following protests against the rule of Bashar al-Assad, who has been isolated by countries in the region for its repression of demonstrations.

The Arab League welcomed Syria's return earlier this year. Arab states say it is time for Syrians seeking refuge on their soil to return home.

Lebanese anger

In a related context, the Minister of Displacement in the Lebanese caretaker government, Essam Sharafeddine, said on Thursday that the European Parliament's decision to support the stay of displaced Syrians in Lebanon "is an arbitrary and rejected decision."

Sharafeddine added in a press statement that the European Parliament's decision aims to pressure Lebanon not to send an official ministerial delegation to Syria in order to start developing a protocol and implementing a mechanism for the safe return of the displaced to their homes, he said.

Sharafeddine considered the decision "a blatant interference in Lebanon's internal national affairs," stressing that he called for an emergency session of the caretaker government, to denounce and denounce this decision, "which is unfair to Lebanon: which suffers a lot economically, socially, security and environmentally, and may suffer a demographic future as a result of this file."

He added that Lebanon welcomed the displaced with great hearts in the days of the war on Syria, but with the change of conditions and the change of circumstances for the better and the absence of compelling reasons, the dignified and safe return has become mandatory.

The European Parliament voted on Wednesday on a resolution to support the stay of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.

On the other hand, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces accuses the Lebanese government of arresting Syrian refugees and forcibly deporting them to regime-controlled areas.

The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is 1.8 million, about 880,<> of whom are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, according to Lebanese estimates.