Breakthrough As WFP Food Convoy Reaches Besieged Kurdish Syrian Town

A convoy of three trucks from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) using a newly opened land corridor has arrived in Qamishli in Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh governorate, carrying lifesaving food assistance for hungry families. This is the first time that WFP has been able to deliver food by land in two years since the area became inaccessible in December 2015. Since that time, WFP has had to operate costly airlifts to bring food to vulnerable families.

The convoy delivered a month’s supply of food for 15,000 people. “This humanitarian breakthrough will allow us to increase regular support for all 250,000 people in need in Hasakeh, compared to the 190,000 people we were able to assist through airlifts,” said Jakob Kern, WFP Country Director and Representative in Syria. “Road deliveries are also far more cost-efficient.”

Overland access to Hasakeh was made possible due to an improved security situation. For almost a year, WFP has conducted two airlifts per day, six days a week to deliver food assistance and relief supplies for people who were otherwise cut off from support.

“Once regular land access to Hasakeh is established, WFP will gradually phase out of its current airlift operation,” Kern added.

Replacing the current airlift operation with land access to Hasakeh is expected to save an estimated US$19 million per year, which is enough to provide an additional 100,000 people with food assistance for one year.

The limited cargo capacity allowed by airlifts meant that only critical food items were prioritized for delivery. With the resumption of road deliveries, WFP will be able to send fortified date bars to resume its school meals programme. WFP will also reintroduce wheat flour in monthly food rations that contain staple food items such as cooking oil, pasta and canned foods.

Every month, WFP delivers food assistance to four million vulnerable people across all 14 governorates in Syria. In addition to its emergency operation, WFP is also scaling up support for long-term recovery by focusing on livelihoods, nutrition and improving access to primary education for children in Syria through school meals.