World Food Program cash crisis threatens Syrian refugees

Troubling times ahead for over 3 million Syrian refugees as WFP announces it is short on funds

December 3, 2014 12:00PM ET

by Inside Story Team @AJInsideStoryAM

Nearly 2 million Syrian refugees who fled the violence of civil war and find safety in neighboring countries are now in serious danger of going hungry this winter. They depend on U.N. World Food Program (WFP) vouchers, and funding for them has dried up for December, just as the bitter cold is setting in.

‘The WFP has declared the suspension of assistance for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, in Jordan, in Turkey and in Egypt because of funding constraints. WFP has been facing funding constraints for the recent month and has been appealing with donors for funding.’

Sandy Maroun

World Food Program representative, Lebanon

Typically when families flee countries at war, the WFP gives them food voucher cards that work like debit cards in local grocery stores. But with the surge of global crises and people in need, the WFP has struggled to keep up with the costs and cannot afford to refill the cards. Last week the United States donated $125 million to the WFP, but the organization says it needs an additional $64 million to reinstate vouchers for Syrians.

‘This is unfair. The Syrians do not deserve this. We fled our country from the ongoing war and hunger and became refugees here. I have patience for one day without food, but my son cannot.’

Khaldiyeh Mohammad Abbas

refugee from Idlib, Syria

More than 200,000 people have been killed in Syria’s three-and-a-half-year civil war. In addition to the 3 million Syrian refugees abroad, there are more than 6 million people in Syria relying on international help. The WFP says that at this rate, food aid to those internally displaced in Syria will end by February.

‘We are expecting that people will maybe have to send their children out to work. They’ll have to skip meals. And what we are worried about is that some may even feel that they are forced to go back to Syria, even though their towns and villages are not necessarily safe.’

Jane Howard

public information officer, World Food Program

Has the U.N. dealt with a crisis like this before?

How can the WFP get Western nations to fulfill their aid pledges?

Is giving direct cash aid less politically controversial?

Could administrative streamlining improve the situation?

We consulted a panel of experts for the Inside Story.