The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced significant reductions in its food assistance operations in Syria due to severe funding shortages, raising concerns about worsening hunger and humanitarian conditions across the country. The agency revealed that emergency food assistance has been reduced by 50 percent, lowering the number of beneficiaries from 1.3 million people to around 650,000. In addition, WFP has suspended its nationwide bread subsidy programme, which had been supporting millions of vulnerable Syrians daily.
Despite signs of stabilization in certain parts of Syria, humanitarian needs remain extremely high. According to WFP, approximately 7.2 million people in the country continue to face acute food insecurity, including nearly 1.6 million individuals experiencing severe hunger conditions. Many families are already coping by reducing meal sizes, consuming less nutritious food, or skipping meals entirely, increasing the risk of malnutrition, especially among children.
The suspension of the bread subsidy programme represents a major setback for vulnerable communities. Through this initiative, WFP had been supporting more than 300 bakeries with fortified wheat flour, enabling affordable bread distribution to up to four million people each day in highly food-insecure areas. The agency warned that the loss of this support could force more families into deeper poverty and food insecurity while weakening social stability and recovery efforts.
The humanitarian crisis in Syria continues to be driven by years of conflict, economic collapse, inflation, displacement, and damaged infrastructure. Millions of Syrians remain internally displaced, and the rising cost of living has further reduced households’ ability to meet basic food needs. WFP noted that funding shortages have also affected Syrian refugees in neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, where food assistance programs have already been reduced.
WFP has stressed that the reduction in aid is solely the result of insufficient funding rather than a decline in humanitarian needs. The organization is urgently appealing for international financial support to sustain life-saving operations and restore critical assistance programs. According to the agency, immediate funding is essential to prevent further deterioration of food security and humanitarian conditions in Syria and the wider region.
