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Helping Palestine Refugees in Syria Meet Their Food Needs with Support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre

14 February 2017

In war-torn Syria, 430,000 Palestine refugees – over 95 per cent of the total Palestine refugee population remaining in the country – don’t have enough food to eat due to volatile conditions, intense armed violence and price inflation. To help meet their minimum dietary needs, UNRWA runs an emergency food programme to provide 700 kcal per day per person, a third of the calorific needs (2,100 kcal) recommended by the World Food Programme (WFP).

Among the stress and uncertainty of life due to the dire situation in Syria, the UNRWA food parcel is a reliable source of support that helps sustain Palestine refugees’ lives as they enter a seventh year of conflict. Each food parcel includes staples such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, powdered milk, pasta, halawa and sugar.

In 2016, UNRWA distributed more than 600,000 food boxes benefiting an overall of 541,425 families across Syria through 17 locations in Aleppo, Damascus, Dera’a, Hama, Homs, Latakia, and Rif Damascus. 

Thanks to a US$ 1 million contribution from the King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief and the support of other donors around the world, UNRWA is able to offer 95 per cent of Palestine refugees with this much-needed relief. 

While this contribution agreement marks the first cooperation with KSRelief, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the second-largest overall donor to UNRWA in 2016. UNRWA and the Palestine refugees in Syria are grateful for the support from KSRelief and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), opting for a balanced, adequate and varied diet is an important step towards a happy and healthy lifestyle. To support Palestine refugees’ nutritional intake, UNRWA provides 700 kcal per day per person, a third of their daily calorific need. Al-Ariha School collective shelter, Khan Dunoun, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadImad Abdel-Rahim Labada is a 39-year-old father of four from Kaboun in Damascus. Imad is thankful for the UNRWA food parcel as it “contains some of the most essential ingredients for cooking.”KSRelief’s generous donation of US$ 1 million was instrumental in ensuring the first round of food assistance in 2017 to one of the most vulnerable populations in Syria. Imad Abdel-Rahim Labada, Alliance distribution centre, Damascus, Syria. © 2017 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadGenerous support from the King Salman Centre is making a meaningful difference in the lives of Palestine refugees in Syria as they try to get through the cold winter season. Families use the food to gain the strength they need to cope with the freezing temperatures. Al-Ariha School collective shelter, Khan Dunoun, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad“My wife and I look forward to receiving the food basket. Our favourite ingredients are the lentils, the rice and the pasta,” says Khamis Ali, a 65-year-old internally displaced Palestine refugee from Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria. Khamis Ali, Alliance distribution centre, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadChadia al-Khatib, a displaced Palestine refugee from Yarmouk, is a mother of four. Her husband went missing during the war. She now is the sole provider for her family. Chadia explains that her children look forward to receiving the milk and the halawa included in the food parcel. Chadia al-Khatib, Alliance distribution centre, Damascus, Syria. © 2017 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadFood insecurity in Syria is driven by high rates of poverty resulting from unemployment, which is in part due to ongoing war and difficulty of movement, as well as high prices for food and economic shocks. With thanks to donors like KSRelief, UNRWA food assistance, combined with its cash assistance programme, helps 95 per cent of Palestine refugees in Syria meet their minimum nutritional needs. Kherbet El-Shiyah, Rif Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadUNRWA distributes an average of 150,500 food parcels per round (10 weeks), providing staples such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, powdered milk, pasta, halawa and sugar to 430,000 Palestine refugees relying on its humanitarian services across Syria. Alliance distribution centre, Damascus, Syria. © 2017 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadGood nutrition is widely recognized as an essential element in leading a healthy and productive life, yet poor nutrition remains a critical global problem. In 2017, UNRWA aims to conduct six food distribution rounds to respond to the minimum nutritional needs of Palestine refugees in Syria. Al-Ariha School collective shelter, Khan Dunoun, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad

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