A New Record: WFP Reaches 4 Million People in Syria
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) delivered food to a record-breaking 4.1 million people in war-ravaged Syria in August.
Because of improved access and a United Nations Security Council resolution that authorized more border crossings, the U.N. World Food Programme and its partners crossed lines to reach more than 580,000 people, more than four times the preceding six weeks.
Since July 25, a total of five cross-border convoys, from Turkey and Jordan, carried food rations to almost 70,000 people in the hard-to-reach areas of Aleppo, Idleb, Quneitra and Da’ra governorates. These rations included rice, lentils, oil, pasta, bulgur, canned food, wheat flour, beans, salt and sugar.
“We are reaching more people every day with urgently needed food assistance – many of them have been going hungry for months,” said Muhannad Hadi, the U.N. World Food Programme’s Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Syria crisis. “We will build on these gains in the coming weeks and months and hope that all parties to the conflict will continue to facilitate our access to the women, children and families that remain out of our reach behind conflict lines.”
Although widespread fighting and insecurity continues to hinder the U.N. World Food Programme’s access to many parts of the country, the U.N. World Food Programme’s remains the largest humanitarian agency operating inside Syria. Working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and over two dozen other partners, the U.N. World Food Programme aims to support 4.25 million people in need of food assistance across all 14 governorates every month. It needs to raise $35 million dollars a week to meet the food needs of families affected by the conflict in Syria and refugees in neighboring countries.
