Japan Supports WFP Food Assistance For Communities Affected By Syria Crisis
AMMAN – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$15.39 million from the Government of Japan towards its emergency food assistance programmes supporting more than 6 million conflict-affected Syrians both inside Syria and in the neighbouring countries.
This contribution from Japan arrives as the conflict in Syria enters its fifth year and affected families continue to face the hardship of displacement and refugee life in the midst of a bitterly cold winter. A portion of this contribution will also be dedicated to supporting vulnerable Jordanians who have been impacted by the influx of more than 623,000 Syrian refugees to Jordan.
“We have always been able to rely on Japan to help us respond to the needs of families affected by this ongoing crisis,” said Muhannad Hadi, WFP’s Regional Emergency Coordinator for Syria and the Neighbouring Countries. “Thanks to this generous contribution from the Government of Japan, now one of our top 10 donors for our Syria response, WFP will be able to continue supporting vulnerable Syrian families who rely on us to survive.”
To date, Japan has contributed over US$45 million to WFP’s Syria Crisis emergency response, which provides life-saving food assistance to more than four million Syrians who have been displaced across all 14 governorates of Syria in addition to at least two million Syrian refugees in the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Inside Syria, WFP provides food rations, while refugees in the neighbouring countries primarily receive assistance through WFP’s electronic food vouchers programme that allows them to buy the food they need from local shops.
The most vulnerable families affected by the Syrian crisis could easily fall victim to hunger without WFP’s support, which is made possible through the commitment of donors like the Government of Japan. WFP requires US$28 million each week to continue to meet the food needs of those affected by the conflict in Syria.
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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600, Mob. +2 010 666 34352
Dina Elkassaby, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2614, Tel. +2 010 152 18882
Joelle Eid, WFP/Amman, Mob. +962 7 972 79403