The regional director of an international organization said of cuts to U.S.-backed nutrition assistance to Syrians: “Across the region, vulnerable families are facing the cumulative effects of prolonged crises, rising costs, and shrinking assistance. Without urgent and sustained funding, we risk reversing years of progress and pushing millions deeper into food insecurity, both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries hosting refugees, risking broader prospects for stability and recovery.”
Date: 5/26
Region: Middle East & North Africa
Country: Multi-country
Topic: Refugees & Displacement, Food & Farming
Policy Lens: Migration & Mobility
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Samer Abdeljaber, World Food Programme Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe regional director. As of May 2026, food security assistance is being rolled back for 220,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, as well as 20,000 in Egypt. Simultaneously programming in Syria is being scaled back by 50%. The World Food Programme, or WFP, expects that long-term impacts may include the rise of acute malnutrition, the adoption of harmful coping strategies, as well as threats to social cohesion and stability.
Devex Researcher Note: Between 2024 and 2025, U.S. contributions to the WFP more than halved, from $4.45 billion to $2.06 billion. As of April 2026, the U.S. had pledged just over $538 million. The decrease in U.S. contributions thus accounts for roughly half of the total cut to WFP funds. As of 2026, no U.S. funding has been allocated towards the Syrian refugees in Jordan and Egypt, despite the U.S. having been the largest donor to both these countries in 2024. The 2026 U.S. contributions for Syria itself have slighly increased relative to the previous year, but are still down from 2024 levels.
Source: WFP