Food distributed in Alleppo

DAMASCUS – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has sent food assistance for distribution to 28,000 people in Aleppo over the next few days, following reports of shortages of food, gas and electricity following weeks of violence in Syria’s largest city.
?    The humanitarian situation is deteriorating in Aleppo and food needs are growing rapidly, with heavy fighting entering its second week – forcing about 200,000 people to flee the city.
?    Since the beginning of the clashes in Aleppo, WFP and its partner, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), have distributed food rations to close to 40,000 people.  
?    In July, WFP provided food assistance to 541,575 people in Syria.  The organization had aimed to reach 850,000 people, but was prevented from doing so by fighting in locations such as Rural Damascus, Homs, Hama, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo.
?    WFP has also launched a regional refugee emergency operation to provide food assistance to vulnerable Syrians in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq through food vouchers. The six-month operation, which started in July, aims to assist 67,000 people this month and will progressively reach 120,000 by December.
?    At a cost of US$103 million, the Syria operation is facing a critical funding shortfall of around US$62 million.