UN food agency says some donors are hesitant to fund emergency aid in Syria under new government

Damascus—— The director of the United Nations World Food Program said on Tuesday that some governments under Syria's new interim rulers are hesitant to increase funding to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Syria after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.

World Food Program Administrator Cindy McCain said the fight against hunger in Syria is a national and regional security issue, especially as the country is going through a critical period of transition.

“The problem here is not just hunger, but hunger is bad enough. But it's about the future of this country and how it moves into the next phase,” McCain said during a meeting with Assad, Syria's de facto foreign minister. Shibani said in an interview with The Associated Press on his first trip to Syria since then.

Syria has been under a new de facto government for more than a month, led by Tahrir al-Sham, which led a lightning rebellion in December that ousted Assad after nearly 14 years of conflict.

Humanitarian agencies, including the World Food Program, have for years decried budget cuts for programs that provide aid to millions of Syrian people. The United Nations estimates that 90 percent of Syria's population lives in poverty, with more than half of the population (more than 12 million people) living in poverty. Know where their next meal is coming from. The country's vital power and water infrastructure was also damaged by the war. The agencies cited shrinking budgets and growing donor fatigue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Last year, WFP ended its main aid program that fed millions of Syrians and gradually scaled back programs that feed millions of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.

The war-torn country, under the rule of HTS leader Ahmed Sala, is currently undergoing a transition that regional and international governments hope will lead to a new constitution, elections and an inclusive political system .

McCain said she and Shibani discussed the urgent need to feed more people, as well as making the country's own food production more sustainable, including improving its fragile water supply and promoting wheat cultivation.

“I think the government is certainly willing to work on that, at least in the talks I heard today,” she said.

But funding remains a major issue.

As Western funding dwindles, humanitarian organizations have increasingly turned to Arab governments, especially wealthy Gulf states, for funding. Although the countries quickly established diplomatic ties with Syria's new rulers, McCain said donors remained hesitant.

“It's important that the Gulf states pay special attention because this is their backyard,” McCain said. “We would like to see them become more proactive not only in terms of short-term emergency needs, but also in terms of long-term needs.”

The governments and some aid agencies have also called for the lifting of Western-led sanctions across Syria that have limited development efforts outside of aid. While most of the sanctions are targeted at Assad and his associates, HTS and al-Sharaa are also subject to sanctions from Washington, Europe and the United Nations.

Washington earlier this month eased some restrictions on Syria's de facto government, including on some energy sales, for six months. The EU will discuss later this month the possibility of easing sanctions related to progress in Syria's political transition.

McCain warned that donor reluctance to meet the needs of millions of people living in poverty and food insecurity in Syria could have dire consequences as Syria goes through a critical phase.

“No matter where you are, food security is national security,” McCain said. “Hunger does not breed kindness. We want to make sure that people have food to eat and that their children have the ability to not only eat but go to school and all the other things we want for a good society.”