Due to a funding shortage and increasing food insecurity in northwest Syria, the World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it will stop its general food assistance programme across Syria at the start of 2024. This marks the seventh time WFP has announced a reduction in aid to Syria, and the latest announcement came on June 13, when it declared a cut in food assistance to about 2.5 million people, down from the previous 5.5 million, citing a funding crisis.
The decision has had a significant impact on families in the region, with many expressing distress over the reduction in aid. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that northwest Syria is home to 4.5 million people, with 1.9 million living in camps for displaced people. The reduction in humanitarian aid has led to an increase in poverty levels, with families facing food shortages increasing to 40.78 percent, while the overall unemployment rate has reached 88.74 percent.
The decision has left families like Yasmin Alhamou and her 23-year-old mother of three, living in a displacement camp near the Syrian-Turkish border, unsure of their future. Alhamou expressed concern about the upcoming winter, stating that her family will have to forgo purchasing heating materials in order to buy the food they need to survive.
In response to the funding shortage, WFP has announced that it will continue to support families affected by emergencies and natural disasters through smaller, more targeted emergency interventions. This new approach aims to transition from broad-scale general assistance to more targeted aid, directing limited resources more effectively to those facing severe food insecurity in the region.
However, the reduction in aid has raised concerns about the economic and humanitarian impact on the region. Economic expert Hayan Hababa warned that the suspension of support provided by the United Nations to the residents of the region will weaken purchasing power, leading to a decline in trade, an increase in unemployment, and rising poverty levels – ultimately pushing the region closer to a humanitarian and economic disaster.