The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) towards its life-saving response for Syrians.
In a press release, distributed on Monday, the WFP said that the €9.5 million contribution helps provide food for thousands of internally-displaced Syrians trying to survive the conflict in their country in addition to Syrian families who have been uprooted and taken refuge in Iraq and Jordan.
"This contribution allows us to fight child malnutrition inside Syria, provide welcome meals for refugee new-arrivals in Jordan and Iraq, inject money into the local economies of the refugee host nations and feed individuals living in the most vulnerable of situations," said Muhannad Hadi, WFP’s Emergency Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. "Without this support, millions of people would simply go hungry," he added.
As the humanitarian situation in the region continues to deteriorate, marking one of the most complex and tragic human disasters of our time, WFP continues to expand its programmes and aims to reach more than 6 million people in need of food assistance each month.
"Our strong partnership with the European Union is integral to the sustainability of our assistance to vulnerable families inside Syria as well as those forced to make the perilous journey to neighbouring countries," Hadi added.
Since the crisis erupted in Syria in March 2011, ECHO has provided more than €110 million in life-saving food support to Syrians affected by the prolonged emergency through WFP.