Breaking News: Food Reaches Besieged Area in Syria
Since the siege began in 2013, families in the area of Eastern Ghouta in Syria have been cut off from regular humanitarian access to food or medicine. In fact, the last time the World Food Programme (WFP) was able to reach them was three months ago.
That all changed this week when a truck convoy with enough food for 7,200 people arrived in Eastern Ghouta.
#Breaking: first @WFP & partners inter-agency convoy in 2018 reaches Nashabieh in #EastGhouta delivering food and assistance to 7.5K ppl pic.twitter.com/lhcdqeMhnV
— WFP Middle East (@WFP_MENA) February 14, 2018
This food delivery is providing a lifeline — and hope — to thousands of people who are trapped with very little access to food and medical supplies. Children won’t go to sleep with empty stomachs and parents won’t have to worry about how they are going to find their next meal for an entire month.
WFP/Hussam Al Saleh
However, the situation in Eastern Ghouta remains critical and could continue to deteriorate. Recent bombings have destroyed infrastructure and left people even more desperate for humanitarian aid.
“Shortages of food, water, medicine and other items have driven people to the brink of endurance,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.
Children are looking through garbage and eating animal fodder to survive. Their parents should never have to watch their children starve and waste away.
WFP is working around the clock to deliver emergency food to people trapped in besieged areas to keep the hunger crisis from getting worse. In December, WFP reached more than 3 million people in Syria with the food they need to survive.
This lifesaving work is only possible thanks to the support of people like you who give so a child doesn’t have to go to sleep with hunger pangs.
