Syria conflict: WFP suspends refugee food aid scheme
The WFP was particularly concerned about refugees in makeshift camps in Lebanon and Jordan
The World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to suspend a critical food aid scheme for more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees because of a funding crisis.
The UN agency said The WFP food voucher scheme has injected about $800m into host countries' economies
"A suspension of WFP food assistance will endanger the health and safety of these refugees and will potentially cause further tensions, instability and insecurity in the neighbouring host countries," Ms Cousin said.
She warned that the WFP's Syria emergency operations were now "in critical need of funding" and that many donor commitments remained unfulfilled.
If new funding arrived, the agency said it would immediately resume assistance for refugees who used electronic vouchers to buy food.
The WFP also raised concerns about the negative impact the suspension of the operation would have on the host countries bordering Syria, which its regional emergency co-ordinator said had "shouldered a heavy burden throughout this crisis".
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says that now the money has run out and the scheme has been halted, the refugees will be even less welcome than they already are in countries like Lebanon, which has been overwhelmed by more than 1.1 million refugees.
It has decided it cannot take any more, and has closed its borders.
Most other relief agencies also suffer from chronic under-funding, and have had to restrict their operations, trying to target the most vulnerable, our correspondent adds.
In a separate development on Monday, jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS) killed at least 15 Iraqi border guards at a checkpoint along the border with Syria, near the town of Walid, Iraqi officials said.
Syrian refugees in the region
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