By Hannah Fogg | Development
As the Syrian civil war continues to rage, millions of people are forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighboring countries. Many of these people seek shelter at the Zaatari camp in Jordan, now home to 110,000 people. The United Nations’ estimates suggest that the number of displaced persons could exceed 10 million in 2014. The World Food Program (WFP) is working to bring life-saving relief and food aid to almost 3 million people per month inside Syria, as well as over 1 million refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey.
Last month, WFP successfully completed its first distribution of food vouchers to all Syrian refugees living in the Zaatari camp, allowing them to buy food of their choice from shops within the camp.
WFP has been distributing food rations to all of the refugees and providing school meals to students, but now in addition to the rations, WFP is also providing refugees with food vouchers. Um Shadi Bardan was one of millions forced to flee her home in Dara, Syria and seek refuge in Zaatari. When she first arrived to the camp WFP provided Um Shadi Bardan and her family with 'dry' rations of lentils, rice and bulgar. Now WFP provides her with food vouchers allowing her and her family to purchase the food of their choice. Since the implementation of the voucher system, Bardan’s family has been able to “buy what we want, we are very happy with the vouchers”. The vouchers have also started to boost the local economy.
WFP food assistance in Zaatari camp costs US$3.5 million a month. There are many Syrians trapped in conflict areas who are still in need of urgent food assistance. Your generous donations will help us continue to bring life-saving relief and food aid to people like Um Shadi Bardan and her family.
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