WFP、シリアから帰還するレバノン市民に食糧配給（英文のみ）

THOUSANDS OF LEBANESE HEADING HOME FROM SYRIA GET WFP FOOD PARCELS

DAMASCUS - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today that to facilitate the mass return of Lebanese who had taken refuge in Syria, it has been providing bread and biscuits to the thousands of people heading over the border back into Lebanon.

Since the cessation of hostilities on Monday, 60,000 people have crossed into Lebanon - in private cars, Syrian and Lebanese taxis, buses and trucks, while some small groups were also seen walking back.

“It is reassuring that in spite of all the suffering they have been through and the uncertainty of what awaits them back home, they are filled with hope and excitement, keen to start rebuilding their lives,” said Pippa Bradford, WFP’s Representative in Syria.

WFP and UNHCR, along with volunteers from the Aga Khan Foundation and the Syrian Red Crescent Society, are working around-the-clock at the main border crossings, handing out small but important food aid packages to the thousands of Lebanese to help them through their first days back in Lebanon, after weeks spent in public buildings in Syria.

In support of this initiative, and ahead of the anticipated Lebanese return, WFP had dispatched eight tons of high-energy biscuits and six tons of bread to the main border points between the two countries. In addition, 12 tons of canned meat were also sent for distribution to the Lebanese returnees.

“Providing sustenance for the journey back home is just the beginning; there is a tremendous amount of work to be done by the UN and the international community to help the people of Lebanon reconstruct their lives.” said Bradford, adding that with the disruption of the country’s commercial and economic activities, “The UN will need to implement concrete programmes aimed at helping vulnerable Lebanese rebuild their livelihoods”.

At least 900,000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon, while an estimated 180,000 crossed the border to seek refuge in Syria. Last week WFP revised its emergency operation to provide assistance to over 500,000 displaced people in Lebanon and 50,000 people in Syria.

Against the US$21 million required for its emergency operation to provide food aid to 500,000 displaced people in Lebanon and Syria, WFP has received US$10.2 million in donations. These include contributions from Germany (US$2.6 million), Saudi Arabia (US$2 million), France (US$1.28 million), the European Commission (US$1.28 million), Australia (US$1 million), Canada (US$885,000), Japan (US$500,000), Luxembourg (US$314,000), Denmark (US$168,000), Greece (US$178,500) and Singapore (US$25,000).

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 58 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People.

Note to editors: WFP is appealing for urgent funds for its Lebanon operation and would appreciate specific mention of our Donate Online page at www.wfp.org/donate

WFP now has a dedicated ISDN line in Italy for quality two-way interviews with WFP officials. A webcam is available for interviews with WFP officials based in Beirut.

Video and photo images are available. Please contact Marco Frattini at marco.frattini@wfp.org for video images and Rein Skullerud at rein.skullerud@wfp.org for photos.


For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org): Manuel Cristovao, Public Information Officer, WFP/Damascus, Mob. +963 98 404521 Robin Lodge, Public Information Officer, WFP/Beirut, Mob. +39 340 8662992, +963-930 07035 (webcam available) David Orr, WFP/Beirut, Mob +963-98-4044-83, +961-70973964 (webcam available) Mia Turner, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +20-2-5281730, Mob. +20-122455769 Brenda Barton, Deputy Director of Communications, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39-06-65132602, Cell. +39-3472582217 (ISDN line available) Christiane Berthiaume, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41-22-9178564, Cell. +41-792857304 Ellen Gustafson, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-917 367 5070, Mob. +1917 6171276, gustafsone@un.org Greg Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 207 240 9001, Cell. +44-7968008474