DAMASCUS - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Syria has welcomed a donation of US$5 million from the Government of Japan to provide lifesaving food to vulnerable families to help them through the harsh winter months.
This donation will support 170,000 people, including displaced families, to access food rations for three months. This contribution comes at a time when winter is putting an additional layer of hardship on Syrian families who are now experiencing an unprecedented economic deterioration and soaring food prices.
"Parents are being forced to choose between feeding their children and keeping them warm as temperatures plummet. Syrian families are being pushed beyond their limits; they cannot afford food, fuel and clothing and humanitarian assistance has never been so critical," says WFP Country Director in Syria Sean O'Brien. "This funding from Japan will ensure that families will have food, especially those who have been displaced multiple times and who are struggling to survive through yet another winter."
In the last two years, Syria has witnessed a staggering 57 percent increase in food insecurity. Today, 12.4 million people are food insecure, including 1.3 million who are severely insecure. In 2021, WFP scaled up its food assistance to reach 5.5 million people each month - an increase of one million - but the needs keep outpacing resources.
After nearly 11 years of conflict in Syria, funding from the Government of Japan is helping families access lifesaving food and rebuild their lives. By working together, WFP and Japan are saving and changing the lives of families across the country.
