The Republic of Korea and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have launched the second phase of their REACH initiative to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance to vulnerable people across Syria.
Backed by US$5 million in funding, REACH Phase II will support approximately 38,000 people over the next 12 months. The programme expands on the first phase by addressing both severe food insecurity and rising acute malnutrition.
Under the new phase, WFP will provide monthly cash or voucher assistance to 10,000 people from severely food-insecure households. Families will be able to use the support to purchase food that best meets their needs, while the cash-based assistance also helps strengthen local markets and support retailers and livelihoods.
The programme will also provide specialised nutrition treatment to 28,000 children aged 6 to 59 months and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls affected by moderate acute malnutrition. Support will include nutritious foods, screening, referrals, treatment and follow-up through health facilities, mobile teams and community outreach.
The initiative comes as food insecurity remains widespread in Syria. Only 18 percent of the population is currently considered food secure, while around 13.4 million people remain food insecure. Of these, 7.2 million are experiencing acute food insecurity and 1.6 million face severe food insecurity or are at immediate risk.
REACH Phase II builds on progress achieved during the first phase. In 2025, WFP provided cash-based food assistance to nearly 95,000 people, while monitoring showed that the share of assisted households with acceptable food consumption increased from 63 percent in 2024 to 71 percent in 2025.
The Republic of Korea has been a longstanding WFP partner in Syria, supporting food assistance through rice contributions and providing US$10 million for the first REACH phase. The latest funding strengthens the partnership and aims to protect vulnerable families while supporting improved food and nutrition security.
By combining immediate food assistance with targeted nutrition treatment, the second phase of REACH is designed to save lives, protect child development and strengthen the resilience of families facing Syria’s ongoing humanitarian challenges.
