AMMAN – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a generous contribution of US$5 million from the Saudi Fund for Development, a government agency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, operating under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abduallah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The contribution will help provide food for thousands of internally-displaced Syrians affected by conflict in their country.

“This is a pivotal moment whereby the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is once again demonstrating its continued commitment and support to our Syrian brothers and sisters who are suffering one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time,” said Muhannad Hadi, WFP’s Emergency Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. “WFP looks forward to continuing its fruitful partnership with Saudi Arabia to provide life-saving food assistance to Syrians both inside the country as well as to refugees who have lost everything.”

As the Syrian crisis drags on, with increasing numbers of people plunged into dire circumstances, especially regarding access to food, WFP continues to expand its food assistance progamme, which currently aims to reach 4.25 million people inside Syria on a monthly basis. These funds from the Saudi Fund for Development will enable WFP to provide life-saving food assistance to thousands of displaced families across all 14 governorates in Syria, including specialized assistance for children and pregnant and nursing women.

“This contribution demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s desire to invest in the next generation that will rebuild Syria. Part of the donation will support a planned WFP school feeding programme inside Syria that aims to give students the opportunity to continue their studies despite the current situation.”

Saudi Arabia has also donated 4,000 metric tons of dates for distribution to Syrian refugees and host communities affected by the crisis in Lebanon and Jordan.

WFP values its partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a champion in the fight against hunger and a global leader for development and humanitarian relief efforts. Through five decades of partnership with WFP, Saudi Arabia has contributed more thanUS$1 billion. In 2008, at the height of the food crisis, Saudi Arabia donated US$500 million to WFP – the single largest cash donation ever made to a UN agency.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Last year, WFP reached more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance.

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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600 Mob. +2 010 666 34352

Dina El-Kassaby, WFP/Amman, Mob. +962 7 9867 4638

Laure Chadraoui, WFP/Beirut, Mob. +961 3 489 925