World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

WFP is providing Syrian refugees in Turkey with electronic vouchers they can use to buy some of their favourite foods from home at local shops. One of few comforts to families living in camps like the ones in Hatay, the programme has also given a boost to the local economy.

During her recent trip to Syria, WFP Senior Spokesperson Abeer Etefa met Souad, a 27-year-old mother whose family lost their home to the fighting. Eking out an existence in an empty building near the battles lines, she and her family are surviving on food provided to them by WFP. 

To meet the growing humanitarian needs inside Syria, WFP is aiming to expand its reach rapidly, raising the number of people receiving emergency food aid by 1 million in the next three months.

Live from Damascus, join WFP's Abeer Etefa for a Google+ Hangout at the centre of the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Abeer has spent the week travelling around the country to visit WFP operations on both sides of the front lines. This unique event will be broadcast live on Google+ and on YouTube Friday 1 February at 12:00pm NYC / 5:00pm London. Watch here

WFP is aiming to scale up to assist more families in Syria, but requires greater humanitarian access in order to reach them, Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said Wednesday during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The conflict in Syria has led thousands of Syrians to flee seeking safety in neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Food is one of their priority needs and WFP is responding with an operation to assist refugees in all five countries. WFP is providing assistance mainly through food vouchers redeemable in local shops as well as direct food distributions in some areas where beneficiaries cannot access markets easily.

GENEVA – WFP joined other humanitarian aid agencies on Wednesday in unveiling an expanded plan to assist people fleeing fighting in Syria to neighbouring countries during the first six months of 2013.

Winter is here and in the camps housing Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, preparations are under way to help families get through the cold months ahead.

Humanitarian needs – especially food – are growing in Syria as fighting continues to force thousands of families to flee their homes. Here is an overview of what WFP is doing inside and outside Syria to support the people affected by the fighting.

Over 1.2 million people are displaced inside Syria and some 250,000 people have fled the country and became refugees in neighbouring countries. Many of them left their homes, lives and had to flee with their families with only the clothes that they were wearing.