Multi-Country Emergency Food Assistance in the Middle East - WFP 2019-2021

June 2019 – Humanitarian needs stemming from the crises in Syria and Iraq remain significant throughout the Middle East. Continued violence in Syria raises little prospects for the voluntary safe sustainable and dignified return of over 5.6 million refugees in the region. Internally displaced persons range in the millions in Syria and Iraq and refugees facing protracted displacement in host countries continue to face acute humanitarian needs in Jordan and Lebanon. With the support of GAC and other donors the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food assistance to more than 7 million people facing malnutrition and severe food insecurity in Iraq Jordan Lebanon and Syria. WFP is the United Nations’ frontline agency in the fight against hunger. It responds to emergencies saves lives by quickly getting food to the hungry and works to help prevent hunger in the future. In the four countries WFP focuses on providing targeted food assistance to reduce acute malnutrition and food insecurity and to protect livelihoods. As the global lead agency for logistics and emergency telecommunications WFP also plays a major role in providing common services for the humanitarian community. Project activities include: (1) distributing food; (2) supplementary feeding for children under the age of five years old as well as for pregnant and lactating women; (3) establishing emergency school feeding programs; (4) supplying vouchers and cash transfers for food; and (5) providing food for work. The project is expected to provide emergency food assistance to more than seven million people affected by malnutrition and acute food insecurity in the four countries.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to food assistance for crisis-affected populations; (2) increased access to supplementary feeding for vulnerable groups including children and pregnant and lactating women; (3) increased enrolment and school attendance; (4) increased resilience of severely food-insecure communities against further shocks; (5) increased access for the humanitarian community to safe reliable and efficient passenger air transport services; (6) improved access to the transportation of light cargo for humanitarian agencies; and (7) increased access to timely medical and security evacuation services. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises.