UN food agency to cut aid to millions of Syrians

World Food Programme must slash assistance to 2.5 million of the 5.5 million Syrians it supports due to funding issues

A boy carries food aid given by the UN's World Food Programme in Raqqa, Syria. Reuters

The UN food agency said on Tuesday that it would cut the aid it provides to millions of Syrians in need of basic supplies by about half.

An “unprecedented funding crisis” in Syria has led the World Food Programme to cut assistance to 2.5 million of the 5.5 million people who rely on the agency for their basic needs, the organisation said.

The WFP said it made the decision to stretch its “extremely limited resources” by prioritising three million Syrians who are unable to make it from one week to the next without food assistance, rather than continuing assistance to 5.5 million people and running out of food completely by October.

Kenn Crossley, the WFP representative and country director in Syria, said instead of scaling up or even keeping pace with increasing needs, the organisation is facing the “bleak scenario of taking assistance away from people, right when they need it the most”.

The food agency is grappling with the challenge of rising needs that exceed available funding, compounded by soaring costs of delivering aid caused by increased food and fuel prices.

The WFP said it was not possible to make additional cuts in ration sizes, therefore the only viable solution was to decrease the number of recipients.

“The people we serve have endured the ravages of conflict, fleeing their homes, losing family members and their livelihoods. Without our assistance, their hardships will only intensify,” said Mr Crossley.

The decision comes as the EU prepares to host the seventh Brussels Conference for donors to Syria on Wednesday.