Syrian refugees face crisis as UN aid programme runs out of funds
The World Food Programme has been providing food vouchers to 1.6 million Syrian refugees in several countries
Over 1.5 million Syrian refugees will lose a crucial lifeline after the World Food Programme announced it had run out of funding.
An aid branch of the UN, the Programme announced yesterday that it could no longer afford the cost of its main project to help the millions of Syrians who have flooded over the country's borders into Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond since the war started three years ago.
It had been providing food vouchers to 1.6 million people, and said the consequences of its decision would be disastrous.
WFP said the programme had so far cost $800 million, but required another $64 million immediately just to keep it going until the end of the month. UN donor countries are being urged to contribute more funds to keep the programme going.
Over three million people are estimated to have fled the fighting in Syria, in addition to more than 10 million people who are said to be in need of assistance inside the country, according to UN figures. Most have gone to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, but there are also refugees receiving vouchers in Egypt and Iraq.
