1.7m Syrian Refugees Face Food Crisis As UN Funds Dry Up

[Purveyor]

Source: Guardian UK

World Food Programme forced to suspend food voucher scheme to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt

Sam Jones
Monday 1 December 2014 15.13 EST

More than 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt are facing a disastrous and hungry winter after a funding crisis forced the UN’s World Food Programme to suspend food vouchers to hundreds of thousands forced into exile by the conflict.

Since the war began in March 2011, the WFP has brought food to millions of Syrians inside the country, and has used the voucher programme – which allows refugees to buy food in local shops – to inject about $800m (£500m) into the economies of those countries hosting them.

But after finding itself unable to secure the $64m it needs to support Syrian refugees in December, the WFP announced on Monday that it was halting the scheme. Severe funding shortfalls have already led the UN body to reduce rations within Syria, where it is trying to help 4.25 million people.

Its executive director, Ertharin Cousin, issued a blunt and urgent appeal to donors, asking them to honour their commitments and warning that the suspension would have a devastating effect on the lives of more than 1.7 million people.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/01/syrian-refugees-food-crisis-un-world-programme

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. How much is the US spending on making war in Syria vs. feeding refugees?

Doesn't Obama want $750 million to train and equip rebels? That's more than 10 times the December shortfall. To be honest, I don't know how much the US has contributed to refugee funds.

[jtuck004]

4. We could do both. Send that Jamie guy and the cook that's always yelling at people as advisors.

"If you are serious about saving this kitchen you will keep the grenades OUT of the damn walk-in"!!

Use the money for food, maybe do a Top Chef episode.

It's really just a matter of spending it right. Seems we ought to do something rather than send more bullets and hope for a different outcome.

[mallard]

2. Total costs for Syria's civil war ...

... continue to mount beyond these already drastic numbers. Instead of ruins, displacement and violence, a little more diplomacy would have prevented these definitely-bad-and-getting-worse-still results. We are now too committed to 'continuing' ... to even recognize or admit the errors; hostile about Russia and Iran having wanted to go it the other way .... and still trying to.

Too bad for Syria. Except for someday, thugly, to-be-installed replacement regime, there are no winners. US is now sponsoring endless war without any overall benefit ... at extremely high costs.

[Blue_Tires]

5. Exactly what "other way" are Iran and Russia trying to go?

aside from supplying soldiers and weapons, respectively?

[allinthegame]

3. So the Saudis

Who are currently manipulating world oil prices for their own ends can't spare some funds to help their neighbors in need?
As my Republican friend emailed me this morning......Hurrah for the free market.