Syrian Coalition Commends Public Steps to Fund UN Food Program for Syrians

The United Nations said Friday it would continue providing food assistance for millions of Syrian refugees after a campaign to raise funds on social media secured $21.5 million in the first 24 hours. But a further $42.5 million is still needed by the U.N.’s World Food Program to provide food vouchers to almost 1.7 million Syrians who have fled to Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt up until the end of the month. The agency warned Monday that it was suspending the distribution of vouchers after it ran out of money, blaming donors for failing to honor their promises. It launched a campaign on social media Wednesday to raise $64 million to keep the program running, supported by Aloe Blacc, who released the hit song “I Need A Dollar” in 2010. WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said that more than 10,000 individuals, corporations and governments around the world contributed $21.5 million in the first 24 hours. And she confirmed this meant the food program was continuing for refugees outside Syria. The campaign, #ADollarALifeline, is based on the idea that donating even $1 can help if enough people take part. Food for 4 million Syrians inside the country had already been purchased and were therefore unaffected, but Byrs warned that without new sources of funding they could be stopped in February. The WFP needs a total of $353 million to feed Syrian refugees inside and outside the country during December, January and February, she said. During his visit to Denmark, Hadi al-Bahra, president of the Syrian Coalition, called on the Government of Denmark to raise the issue of the World Food Program’s suspension of food aid for 1.7 million Syrians during the meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled in mid-December. Nasr al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, said that the UN World Food Program’s (WFP) suspension of food aid to Syrian refugees places greater responsibility on the Arab countries, especially on our brothers in the Gulf States, to help the victims of the murderous Assad regime. The onset of winter further exacerbates the plight of the Syrian refugees who are struggling to provide food and shelter for their children, some of whom are freezing to death in the refugee camps. Hariri also said that the timing of taking such a decision did not take into account the latest changes taking place in the Syrian crisis. “While billions of dollars are being budgeted to fight terrorism, the UN has decided to cut the humanitarian aid which is considered one of the most important tactical steps that cannot not be ignored in this decisive phase. Moreover, this decision runs contrary to the strategy that the international community has adopted to fight terrorism because it would create the suitable conditions for the production of extremism and terrorism among the displaced and refugees.” (Source: Syrian Coalition + Al Jazeera)