The World Food Programme announced a 50% cut to its emergency food aid for Syria, reducing the number of beneficiaries from 1.3 million people to 650,000 in May.
The UN agency also halted bread support across Syria on Wednesday, May 13, which it said had provided support to millions of people daily.
The UN agency attributed the reduction in its operations in Syria to severe funding shortages.
It explained that signs of stability in some parts of the country have not prevented 7.2 million people in Syria from suffering acute food insecurity, including 1.6 million people facing severe conditions.
The WFP said many Syrian families are already unable to meet their daily food needs, forcing them to reduce food portions, rely on less nutritious meals, or skip meals altogether.
It warned that prolonged deprivation increases the risk of malnutrition, especially among children, noting that bread, as an affordable staple food, remains a critical buffer against worsening hunger.
According to the WFP, families already struggling to secure their daily food also face continued economic pressure, disrupted livelihoods, and displacement dynamics, including families returning to communities with limited capacity to absorb them.
Bread Support Is a Lifeline
The WFP said its bread support programme had served as a lifeline, helping keep this staple food within reach for all.
The agency added that, through the initiative, it provided fortified wheat flour to more than 300 bakeries, enabling subsidised bread to reach around 4 million people daily in the most vulnerable areas.
It said any disruption to the programme would risk accelerating hunger, pushing more families to adopt negative coping mechanisms, and undermining a crucial opportunity to support recovery and stability.
The UN agency said that in 2025 it reached 5.8 million people across all Syrian governorates through a combination of emergency food assistance, bread support, nutrition support, livelihoods programmes, and social protection.
It said the funding shortage is forcing it to reduce coverage from 14 governorates to only seven.
Funding Constraints Cut Aid
Marianne Ward, WFP Country Director in Syria, said the reduction in WFP assistance is driven exclusively by funding constraints, not by a decline in needs.
She described Syria’s current moment as “critical,” saying that recovery remains fragile and needs remain severe. She said the WFP is being forced to withdraw a vital safety net at a time when people need it more than ever, with serious implications for food security, social cohesion, and stability, leaving the most vulnerable families with fewer options to cope.
She added that the funding shortage will affect Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, where rising costs, continued instability, and limited income-generating opportunities are worsening vulnerabilities.
In Lebanon, many refugee families still rely heavily on assistance. In Jordan, the WFP was forced to halt cash-based food assistance for around 135,000 Syrian refugees living in host communities, while continuing reduced support for around 85,000 refugees in camps. In Egypt, 20,000 Syrians face reduced support.
For his part, Samer Abdeljaber, WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, said vulnerable families across the region are facing the cumulative effects of prolonged crises, rising costs, and shrinking assistance.
He said the absence of funding risks undermining gains achieved over the years and pushing millions of people deeper into food insecurity, both inside Syria and in neighboring countries hosting refugees, threatening broader prospects for stability and recovery.
Programme Needs $189 Million Over Six Months
The WFP said it needs $189 million over the next six months, from June to November 2026, to sustain and restore lifesaving assistance inside Syria.
It said timely funding would allow the WFP to reach 1.6 million of the most vulnerable people, maintain vital nutrition support, ensure that millions have access to affordable bread, and help prevent further deterioration at a pivotal moment in Syria’s recovery.
The UN agency said it continues to prioritise emergency food assistance, targeted nutrition programmes, and support for livelihoods and national systems, while working with partners to raise additional funding and expand operations whenever resources allow.
Shift Toward Development Support Instead of Humanitarian Response
Two senior United Nations officials said during a visit to Damascus that Syria is at a pivotal stage that requires maintaining humanitarian aid while also strengthening development efforts, amid the return of large numbers of people to the country and growing humanitarian needs.
The remarks came during a press conference in New York attended remotely by UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo and UN relief chief Tom Fletcher.
The two officials held meetings with Syrian government officials and took part in launching the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.
De Croo said that after years of conflict, Syria saw the return of more than 1.6 million people over the past year, increasing demand for housing, public services, and job opportunities.
He said providing those services is essential to ensuring returns continue, warning that failure to do so could push some people to reconsider their decision to return.
He added that needs in Syria are beginning to change, requiring a shift in funding from humanitarian response to support for development programs, while stressing that humanitarian assistance will remain necessary in the coming period.
The UNDP official also pointed to government plans that include clearing landmines from Syrian territory and ensuring that no one will be forced to remain in camps within a year, saying implementation of those plans requires international support.
He also presented an economic analysis prepared by UNDP, showing that the conflict set Syria’s development back by about a year and a half, caused economic losses estimated at around $190 billion, and pushed more than four million people into poverty across Arab countries.
16 Million Syrians Need Support
For his part, the UN emergency relief coordinator said needs in Syria remain high, with around 16 million people requiring support.
He stressed the importance of mine clearance and accelerating humanitarian response, alongside a gradual transition toward long-term recovery.
He said the UN is working to strengthen coordination among its agencies, including joint planning and supply chains, in addition to supporting local actors and improving the efficiency of aid delivery.
He also underscored the importance of respecting international humanitarian law and protecting humanitarian workers, noting that they have come under attack while working in the region.
He added that regional escalation is affecting conditions in neighboring countries, including Lebanon, where the conflict has displaced large numbers of people.
The two officials said the current phase requires international support to invest in essential services and reinforce stability, while continuing humanitarian efforts and focusing on partnerships with national actors and on supporting a recovery process that includes all segments of society.
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