THE United Nations food agency is slashing its financial aid for 120,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan’s camps because of an “unprecedented funding crisis.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that from August, the monthly cash allowance for residents at the Zaatari and Azraq camps will be cut from $32 (£25) to $21 (£16).

It follows an announcement from the agency last week that it would gradually cut off 50,000 refugees in Jordan from its assistance altogether.

The programme initially covered 465,000 people in need.

Jordanian officials have warned that the country will not be able to fill the gap left by international donors.

Last week, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned that “refugees will suffer,” saying: “Providing dignified lives to refugees is a global responsibility.

“It is not ours alone as host country.”

WFP Jordan representative Alberto Correia Mendes said: “As funding dries up, our hands are tied.”

The agency said that even with the current cuts, it still faces a funding shortfall of some $41 million (£32m) and may have to impose additional measures.

Funding cuts have also affected millions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Turkey, where anti-refugee rhetoric and calls for mass deportations have surged.

UN refugee agency Jordan representative Dominik Bertsch said the aid rollback has forced agencies to look only to the most vulnerable families, leaving many in need without assistance.

“There is an imminent risk that the situation is sliding back into a humanitarian crisis with serious consequences for refugees and host communities,” he said.

WFP aid largely relies on international government funding allocations.

It comes just weeks after Nato chiefs urged member countries to speed up increases in defence spending as Western nations tighten their military stance against Russia while neglecting global humanitarian needs.