Today, I have a letter in the New York Times about ways we can help the starving Syrian war refugees. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to cut rations for these war victims because funding is so low. We can do something about it.
Read the full article at Examiner.
Filed under global hunger
Syrian refugees, who fled the civil war in their homeland, are now facing a hunger crisis. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says they have run out of funds to feed them.
Read the full article at Examiner.
Filed under global hunger
There are nearly a million Syrian war victims who have fled to neighboring Turkey. A quarter million of these are living in refugee camps.
Read the article at Examiner.
Filed under global hunger
Al Za’atri camp following heavy rains. Credits: Abdalrheem Alarjan©WFP
Humanitarian aid agencies are struggling to feed, clothe, and shelter Syrians who are fleeing to neighboring countries daily, escaping the conflict in their homeland.
Sybella Wilkes of the UN High Commission for Refugees said yesterday, “The lack of funds are very worrying.” The UN has issued an appeal for US $1 billion to provide relief for hundreds of thousands of Syrians. Only a fraction of the funding has come in from donor governments.
The UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) director, Ertharin Cousin, said today, “These families have gone through very difficult moments, losing their loved ones and worrying about the people and homes they left behind. We have a commitment to continue to support Syrian refugees – whether in Turkey or in the other neighbouring countries – with some of them in very precarious conditions this winter.”
WFP said today that at the Al Za’atri camp in Jordan heavy rains, sleet and snow damaged tents and displaced families. Save the Children staff were also injured when upset refugees entered a WFP food distribution site. The incident occurred when someone tried to use two ration cards.
WFP also reports that despite the difficult conditions, general food distributions in January were able to start. The food voucher program, however, was delayed temporarily due to the harsh weather because people could not travel to the markets.
From January 2-8 over 6,200 welcome meals were provided to new arrivals at the Al Za’atri camp.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon there are now over 192,000 Syrians who have sought refuge. Poor weather also has caused delays there in the relief program. Relief programs for Syrian refugees are also ongoing in Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt.
As long as the conflict continues in Syria, humanitarian needs will continue to grow. WFP is making plans to potentially feed as many as 750,000 Syrian refugees. Inside Syria WFP is feeding around 1.5 million people impacted by the fighting.
Wilkes adds, “We urgently need to replenish our warehouses, provide financial assistance to the most needy, and expand our outreach efforts to reach the most vulnerable.”
Time is running out for many Syrians as the harsh winter weather takes hold.
Article first published as Harsh Weather, Low Funding New Threats to Syrian Refugees on Blogcritics.
Filed under global hunger
Faiza Alabed holds her newborn, with her son by her side. The family fled the violence in Syria for the safety of Jordan. (Bill Lyons/CRS)
As fighting continues in Syria, humanitarian needs are increasing. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) reports, “there has been a recent dramatic increase in the number of people leaving their homes in search of safety with a number of them seeking shelter in schools across the country.”
WFP, through its partner the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, is feeding 850,000 people in 14 Syrian governorates. Funding for the relief mission is short $43 million dollars. As WFP plans to increase food distributions to 1.5 million civilians, even more funding will be required. WFP depends entirely on voluntary donations.
Many others Syrians are fleeing into neighboring countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there is a “major increase” in Syrians fleeing into Jordan. Last Thursday, a record 2, 200 Syrians crossed the border into Jordan. The average number of refugees arriving in Jordan had already increased to about 1000 a day and prior to that was around 400.
In just one week the number of refugees fleeing Syria into neighboring countries increased from 170,116 to 202,512. UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards says, “Further arrivals are expected.”
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is providing aid to refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Caroline Brennan of CRS recently interviewed some of the refugees. One of them told her, “We escaped in the middle of the night. God protected us. We came to Jordan with nothing-literally with the clothes on our backs. The most important thing is that our kids are safe. I didn’t even take my last paycheck when we left. I couldn’t look back.”
A recent UN study shows the long-term effect of this conflict. The reports says 3 million people in Syria will need assistance over the next 12 months. There are, “Large numbers of rural people of the central, coastal, eastern, northeast and southern governorates were found to have totally or partially lost their farming assets and livestock-based livelihoods and businesses, due to the on-going insecurity, coupled with a prolonged drought. ”
Resources will be needed to help those suffering in Syria as well as the ever-growing number of refugees.
Filed under global hunger
The Hejaz Railway, which ran through Syria and Jordan, was damaged during World War One (photo courtesy Jordan Tourism Board)
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) did not start its operations until 1963. However, one of its earliest projects was helping rebuild from the destruction left over from World War I. The Hejaz Railway, which originally ran from Syria to Saudi Arabia, was damaged during the First World War of 1914-1918.
The WFP enacted a Food for Work project to help rebuild some still-damaged sections of the railway in Syria and Jordan. Workers were given food in exchange for their labor. The New York Times reported in 1964 that the food rations for this project would feed 750 workers for two years. Parts of the Hejaz railway are still operational to this day.
WFP continues Food for Work projects like this today to improve transportation which is essential for feeding a nation and building an economy. Without good roads or rails, food, medicine and critical supplies cannot move quickly or efficiently. Goods cannot be as easily exchanged. In South Sudan, for example, the lack of good roads has made food distributions that much more difficult in one of the world’s hungriest countries.
Conflict is raging within Syria again today with rebels battling the government. WFP says it “continues to provide food assistance to 850,000 beneficiaries in 14 Syrian governorates” through its partner the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. WFP, which relies on voluntary funding, needs donations to supply the food but also safe access so it can reach all those in need.
They are estimated to be at least 1.5 million people in Syria who will need food aid in the coming months as the fighting continues. There are also many Syrians fleeing into neighboring countries who will need assistance.
Article first published as UN Food Agency Aided World War I Reconstruction in Syria on Blogcritics.
Suggested by the author:
Filed under global hunger, History
Author William Lambers 