The World Food Program launched an unusual campaign Wednesday to raise $1 contributions from 64 million people around the world so it can restore food vouchers to Syrian refugees who won’t be getting any UN help in December.
The 72-hour campaign effort comes two days after the UN food agency announced it was forced to suspend food vouchers to 1.7 million Syrians refugees because it doesn’t have the $64m to cover the cost. The WFP warned the suspension would force many Syrian families who fled to Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt to go hungry.
The suspension of the vouchers highlighted the difficulty the UN has had in raising funds for soaring humanitarian needs not only in Syria but around the world. Governments, aid organisations and regional bodies are increasingly overwhelmed with appeals for assistance.
In a speech Wednesday, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said more than 100 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance today — three times as many as 10 years ago. He said the amount requested through humanitarian appeals has risen nearly 600% in the past decade, from $3bn to $17.9bn.
“The humanitarian landscape is darkening and changing faster than ever before,” Eliasson said.
WFP is asking people to visit its website to donate online.
“Even one dollar can make a difference,” WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said in a statement. “We’re saying to people: ‘For you it’s a dollar, for them it’s a lifeline.’”
