WFP 72-Hour Campaign #ADollarALifeline Brings In Dollars And Support For Syrian Refugees
ROME – In the first 24 hours, the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) unprecedented campaign raises $21.5 million for Syrian refugees. On Monday, WFP announced the suspension of the refugee food assistance programme. Rather than waiting for donors, WFP launched an unprecedented public appeal. In the first 24 hours, the money received from individuals, corporations and governments totals one-third of the $64 million required to fully reinstate the Syrian refugee food programme for 1.7 million people.
“People do care. The Syrian refugees are not forgotten,” said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin. “Because the refugee food assistance is provided by e-vouchers, over the coming days we will immediately begin reinstating e-vouchers for some of the poorest and most vulnerable families, particularly women and children.”
WFP will continue this campaign for another 48 hours. The programme now requires US$42.5 million.
“Raising one-third in the first 24-hours brings hope,” said Muhannad Hadi, WFP Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. “We must ensure no child goes hungry this month. WFP should not be forced to choose between one hungry child over another.”
People around the world are being asked to follow this link: wfp.org/forsyrianrefugees and visit WFP’s website wfp.org to donate online.
Members of the public are also being asked to swap their profile picture on Twitter and Facebook with a ‘badge’ representing the 1 Dollar for Syrian Refugees campaign. Badges can be found on wfp.org/forsyrianrefugees.
Use the following hashtag to show your support: #ADollarALifeline
Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, WFP has succeeded, despite fighting and problems of access, in meeting the food needs of millions of displaced people inside Syria and up to 1.7 million refugees in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
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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. In 2013, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Mob. +20 1066634352. Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600
Bettina Luescher, WFP/New York, Tel. +1 646 556 6909, Mob. +1 646 824 1112
Steve Taravella, WFP/Washington DC, Tel. +1 202 653 1149, Mob. +1 202 770 5993
Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474
Elisabeth Byrs, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. +41 79 473 4570
Emilia Casella, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 6513 3854, Mob. +39 347 9450634