UN Food Agency Halves Syria Aid and Stops Bread Subsidy Due to Funding Shortages

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on May 13, 2026, that it has halved emergency food assistance in Syria and halted a critical bread subsidy program due to severe funding shortages. The number of beneficiaries dropped from 1.3 million to 650,000, with operations scaled back from fourteen to seven governorates. This decision comes despite 7.2 million Syrians remaining acutely food insecure, including 1.6 million facing severe hunger. The WFP attributed the cuts primarily to reduced foreign aid from major donors, particularly the United States under President Donald Trump, alongside cuts from other nations. Consequently, the agency stopped supporting over 300 bakeries that provided subsidized bread to four million people daily. The humanitarian crisis persists even as fighting has eased following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. The WFP stated it requires $189 million between June and November to sustain essential services. The funding gap also impacts Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, with cash assistance halted for 135,000 refugees in Jordan and reduced in Egypt and Lebanon, highlighting the widespread vulnerability across the region.