UN cuts 50% of food aid inside Syria

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced a 50% reduction in its emergency aid in Syria, which led to a decline in the number of beneficiaries from 1.3 million to only 650,000 people this May, in addition to the suspension of the bread subsidy program that provided daily sustenance for millions of Syrians, starting from Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

In a statement on its activities in Syria,  WFP attributed the reduction in its contributions in Syria to a lack of funding, despite the fact that 7.2 million people continue to suffer from acute food insecurity, including 1.6 million living in extremely difficult situations.

The statement painted a tragic reality about Syria, indicating that Syrian families are resorting to reducing meals or reducing their nutritional value, which raises the risk of malnutrition, especially among children, according to him.

Bread, as an affordable staple, remains a critical protection factor in the face of worsening hunger, the WFP  said, warning that tens of thousands of families already  struggling to secure their daily food   are facing ongoing economic pressures, disruptions to livelihoods and dynamics of displacement, including the return of families to communities with limited capacity to absorb them.

Bread subsidies halted and its repercussions on food security

The UN program described bread subsidies as a lifeline, as it was supplying more than 300 bakeries with fortified flour to about four million people daily, indicating that the suspension of this subsidy threatens to accelerate the pace of hunger, push families into dangerous coping mechanisms, and undermine the chances of recovery and stability.

The WFP said its  operations in 2025 reached 5.8 million people through a combination of food assistance, nutrition support and livelihood programmes, but it was forced to reduce coverage from 14 governorates to just 7, without naming the governorates from which the programme had emerged.

Funding constraints shrink aid

WFP Country Director for Syria, Marianne Ward, said the reduction in WFP assistance is solely due to funding constraints, not to reduced needs.

She described the moment in Syria as "critical", in light of the fragility of the recovery and the growing needs, warning that the programme has been forced to withdraw a vital safety net at a time when people need it more than ever, with serious repercussions on food security, social cohesion and stability, and leaving the most vulnerable families with fewer options for colocation.

She added that the lack of funding will affect Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, where high costs, continued instability and limited income-generating opportunities are exacerbating vulnerabilities.

  In   Jordan, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to stop cash-based food assistance to some 135,000  Syrian refugees living in host communities, while continuing to provide reduced support to some 85,000  refugees in camps, and in Egypt, 20,000  Syrians are facing a reduction in the level of support.

For his part, the World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, Samer Abdel-Jaber, stressed that vulnerable families across the region are facing the cumulative effects of protracted crises, rising costs and shrinking aid.

"The lack of funding risks undermining years of gains and pushing millions of people into further food insecurity, both inside Syria and in neighbouring refugee-hosting countries, threatening prospects for broader stability and recovery."

Program Seeks $189 Million

 The World Food Programme (WFP) has linked its continuation of life-saving assistance inside Syria over the next six months (June – November 2026) to at  least US$189 million.

The UN programme called for timely funding   to reach 1.6 million of the most vulnerable, maintain vital nutrition support, ensure millions of people have access to affordable bread, and help prevent further deterioration at a pivotal moment in Syria's recovery.

WFP noted that it continues to prioritize emergency food assistance, targeted nutrition programmes, and support to national livelihoods and systems, while working with partners to raise additional funding and scale up operations as resources allow.