WFP delivers food to besieged communities in Madaya, Fouaa and Kefraya
Yesterday, trucks carrying over 500 tons of desperately needed food and other supplies entered the besieged towns of Madaya, in rural Damascus and Fouaa and Kefraya in rural Idlib, in Syria.
Around 60,000 people are believed to have been trapped in the three areas since October with no access to food and other essential humanitarian supplies.
The trucks, loaded with enough food to feed 40,000 people for one month in Madaya and 20,000 people in Fouaa and Kefraya, reached the three areas simultaneously just after 9:30 PM.
WFP programme officer, Isam Ismail, who accompanied the convoy in Madaya, said: “It is raining non-stop, with not a drop of fuel so it is pitch black in Madaya. We are offloading food using our mobile phone lights and the truck headlamps.”
“Give us anything...biscuits...bread…anything”
“Children were waiting for us for a long time but few remained on the streets when the convoy made it inside Madaya after dark,” added Ismail. “The few children who did stay out to receive the convoys were cold and stormed to the team to ask for biscuits or bread or anything that they could eat immediately.”
WFP boxes of food include rice, wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, canned food, beans and lentils. WFP prioritised the delivery of canned food, which is ready to eat so people have immediate access to food whether or not they have cooking facilities.
Other relief items from partner agencies, the ICRC, UNICEF and WHO included medical and nutritional items. Two other convoys carrying more supplies are due to enter the areas in the coming days.
“Regular access is crucial”
WFP provides food to over 4 million people living in Syria every month but continues to call on all parties to the conflict to allow unimpeded access to all people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria.
“People’s worst fears are that the team will leave and never come back,” explained Ismail. “It is crucial that we are able to access these people and deliver humanitarian aid on a regular basis.”
Read more about the Syria emergency.