The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday it will be forced to end food assistance to 2.5 million Syrians next month if it does not receive at least $180 million in donations to fund programs through the end of this year. The announcement came as the European Union (EU) gears up to host the seventh Brussels Conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region” on Wednesday and Thursday.
An unprecedented funding crisis in Syria is forcing the World Food Programme to cut assistance to 2.5 million of the 5.5 million people who rely on the agency for their basic food needs. After exhausting all other options, the UN agency took the decision to stretch the extremely limited resources by prioritizing 3 million Syrians who are unable to make it from one week to the next without food assistance, rather than continue assistance to 5.5 million people and run out of food completely by October.
“Further reductions in ration size are impossible; our only solution is to reduce the number of recipients,” said WFP Syria Director Ken Crossley in a statement.
“The people we serve have endured the ravages of conflict, fleeing their homes, losing family members and their livelihoods. Without our assistance, their hardships will only intensify.”
After more than a decade of conflict, a spiraling economic crisis and a series of deadly earthquakes in February, many Syrians are barely getting by. The WFP says even those who receive regular food assistance are struggling to cope.
“Instead of scaling up or even keeping pace with increasing needs, we’re facing the bleak scenario of taking assistance away from people, right when they need it the most,” Crossley said.
After 12 years of conflict, massive displacement, and devastating earthquakes, Syrians have been living in a perpetual state of emergency. Over the past couple of years, WFP took every measure possible to stretch available resources and maintain its assistance to the most vulnerable. This included the gradual reduction of the size of the monthly food ration to what now has become half the standard size.
WFP is facing the challenge of increased needs globally at a pace that funding has not been able to match, and the cost of delivering food assistance is at an unprecedented high because food and fuel prices have increased.
Even before the devastating February earthquakes that hit the north and west of Syria, causing widespread damage, loss of lives and displacement, 12.1 million people across the country were in the grip of hunger. Malnutrition rates are at an all-time high as well, with one in four pregnant and nursing mothers acutely malnourished, and one in four children stunted in some parts of the county.
WFP continues to advocate with partners and major donors for additional funds. The UN food agency urgently requires a minimum of US$180 million to avert these cuts and continue providing food assistance at its current level until the end of 2023.
Overall, the 15.3 million people – or 70 percent of the population – need some form of humanitarian assistance in Syria. More than 13 million people were forced to flee their homes looking for safety, including 6.8 million Syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries, where they have stayed for more than a decade.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the European Union will host a ministerial conference in Brussels focusing on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region.” The conference aims to revitalize international political and financial support for Syrians in their country and in host countries.
In a related development Wednesday, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Achim Steiner, warned in a joined statement ahead of the conference that the human cost of the Syria crisis was astronomical, and the world must continue to support the people and intensify efforts to end the crisis.
“While the United Nations and non-governmental organizations have continued to work for the Syrian people across the country and for the Syrian refugees and their hosts, we need much greater financial support from the international community”, the statement said.
The revised Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Syria requires US$5.4 billion, but it is only 11 percent funded. The Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), covering refugees and host communities throughout the region, appeals for $5.77 billion and is just 10 percent funded.
“Now is the time to step up and recommit to support Syrians and address the dire needs throughout the region. We appeal to donors for your continued generosity and to quickly provide the resources required. That will allow us to deliver, and step up, our work in Syria and in host countries”, the leading UN officials said.
In a separate statement Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also urged immediate action by the international community to address the critical situation faced by the people in Syria.
Further information
Full text: WFP forced to scale down operations in Syria, as donors gather in Brussels ahead of a major conference, WFP press release, June 13, 2023
https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-forced-scale-down-operations-syria-donors-gather-brussels-ahead-major-conference
Full text: The human cost of the Syria crisis is astronomical. The world must continue to support the people and intensify efforts to end the crisis, joint OCHA, UNHCR and UNDP statement, released Jun 14, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/human-cost-syria-crisis-astronomical-world-must-continue-support-people-and-intensify-efforts-end-crisis
Full text: Syria: Urgent Action Needed to Address Humanitarian Needs, ICRC press release, published June 14, 2023
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/syria-urgent-action-needed-address-humanitarian-needs