WFP welcomes new funding from Japan to help sustain life-saving food assistance to the most vulnerable in Syria
DAMASCUS – The United Nations World Food Programme welcomed a recent contribution of US$6 million from the Government of Japan to support the distribution of food rations to some 250,000 people in urgent need of food assistance across Syria.
The contribution comes at a tipping point in Syria whereby food affordability is becoming increasingly challenging following consecutive shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, global food and fuel price crisis, and the war in Ukraine. Supply chain disruptions associated with these events in tandem with years of below average wheat production have sent food prices soaring, negatively affecting the 12 million people who are currently food insecure.
Between January and June, food prices increased by 45 percent. This comes on top of an already 500 percent hike in food prices over the past two years. As a result, adequate food is now out of reach for most of the population.
“This contribution from Japan came just in time to support this lifeline for vulnerable families who now need us more than ever,” said Ross Smith, WFP’s acting Country Director in Syria.
WFP will use the Japanese contribution to provide food rations to 250,000 people among the most vulnerable across all the 14 Syrian governorates for two months. With key staples such as wheat flour, rice and vegetable oil, these rations will protect these families from further reductions in their living standards.
An estimated 14.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria - an increase of 1.2 million people compared to 2021. Within this context, an estimated 12 million people or 55 percent of the entire population are food insecure. Subsequently, Syrian families continue to increasingly rely on severe negative coping strategies to cover their essential food needs. Such strategies include having less number of meals and purchasing food on credit.
Since 2021, WFP has scaled up its food assistance to reach an average of 5.6 million people each month but the needs keep outpacing resources. This contribution from the Government of Japan is helping Syrian families access lifesaving food and rebuild their lives.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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