China Contributes US$2 Million To WFP’s Response Inside Syria
DAMASCUS - The Government of the People’s Republic of China has made a generous contribution of US$2 million towards the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) emergency food assistance programme that is currently supporting four million conflict- affected people inside Syria.
This contribution will enable WFP to purchase 2,000 tons of bulgur wheat, vegetable oil and rice, which will be included in WFP food rations that will be delivered to 1.2 million internally displaced Syrians, fulfilling their food needs for a period of one month.
“We face a number of difficulties in delivering life-saving food assistance to internally displaced families across Syria,” said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s Country Director in Syria. “One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that we have sufficient funds available to purchase the food in advance, so WFP is extremely grateful for this generous contribution from the Government of China.”
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is the designated coordinator of humanitarian assistance in Syria. WFP distributes life-saving food assistance to affected communities in all 14 Syrian governorates through SARC’s nationwide network of branches and volunteers.
“During my recent visit to China, I met a number of Chinese officials with whom I discussed the urgent humanitarian needs of displaced populations inside Syria,” said Muhannad Hadi, WFP’s Regional Emergency Coordinator for Syria and the Neighbouring Countries. “This contribution confirms China’s longstanding commitment to the people of Syria who have had to endure the consequences of the ongoing crisis.”
The Syria response is WFP’s largest and most complex emergency worldwide. WFP needs to raise US$30 million each week to meet the food needs of people affected by the Syrian conflict.
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WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Last year, WFP reached more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600 Mob. +2 010 666 34352
Dina El-Kassaby, WFP/Amman, Tel. +962 6 515 4009 Mob. +962 7 9867 4638
Laure Chadraoui, WFP/Beirut, Mob. +961 3 489 925
Yiwen Zhang, WFP/China, Tel. +86 10 85325228 ext.5309 Mob.+86 13601169994