Cairo - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
launched on Thursday a 126-million-dollar emergency operation to
provide food assistance to more than one million displaced Iraqis, a
UN press release said.
The aid operation will run until December 2008 and is expected to
assist those Iraqis who are unable to meet their basic food needs.
The aid will reach 750,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqis displaced
within the war-ravaged country, by providing complementary food
packages to those who are unable to get their food ration cards.
According to an estimate by the UN organization, around 2.2
million Iraqis are displaced within their home country because of
continuing violence. Many of those are currently living in poor
conditions with host families, in abandoned buildings or camps.
'We are facing a growing humanitarian crisis as a result of the
continuing violence in Iraq. An increasing number of displaced people
cannot meet their food needs and therefore require more help. We hope
that the food assistance we provide can help avert a much bigger
crisis,' said WFP country director for Iraq, Stefano Porretti.
In addition, the one-year operation is expected to help more than
360,000 Iraqis who have fled to Syria, according to the organization.
Initial support, also through monthly food rations of rice, vegetable
oil, and lentils, is expected to reach 155,000 first then gradually
extend to reach the rest of those in need by the end of 2008.
Syria is home to more than 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, 'many of
whom have no savings, no income and no means of support,' according
to the WFP.
A recent UN assessment, conducted in collaboration with the Syrian
Arab Red Crescent, revealed that about a third of Iraqi respondents
living in Syria said they skipped one meal a day to feed their
children, while 60 per cent said they were buying less expensive
foods, often less nutritious, to cope with rising prices.
'The needs of Iraqis in Syria are mounting. Many have depleted
their meager resources and cannot cope with the rising costs of
living. They desperately need humanitarian help,' said WFP country
director for Syria, Pippa Bradford.
© 2008 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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