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| UN Resumes Food Aid For Syrian Refugees |
| 2014-12-10 |
| [IsraelTimes] After a social media campaign brought in a significant cash infusion, the UN food agency said Tuesday it has reinstated a food aid program that helps feed more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees. In early December, the World Food Program suspended electronic food vouchers for Syrians who had fled to Jordan, Leb, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. The move triggered panic among the refugees, threatening to starve thousands of families and add pressure on the already strained countries hosting them. At the time, WFP said many donors failed to meet their commitments. The agency said it needed $64 million to support Syrian refugees in December alone. On Tuesday, WFP said the voucher program was on again, thanks an unusual campaign it launched on social media to raise $1 contributions from 64 million people around the world. The WFP said it solicited $1.8 million in donations from almost 14,000 people and from private sector donors in 158 countries. ?This outpouring of support in such a short time is unprecedented,? the food agency?s chief Ertharin Cousin said. The program pays for electronic vouchers, or e-cards, uploaded with an average $30 per family member, for refugees to buy food in local shops. |
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