Syria is going through "the worst humanitarian crisis that we have seen in decades," the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) said Monday, as it expanded its emergency operations in the country. According to dpa, the warning from the Rome-based agency came hours before the UN Security Council in New York was due to be briefed by a fact-finding mission about the use of chemical weapons in the 33-month-long conflict. WFP said it would feed 4.25 million Syrians next year, up from 3.4 million people in November, as well as 2.9 million refugees in neighbouring countries. It added it would need to raise 2 billion dollars to fund its operations. "This is the worst humanitarian crisis that we have seen in decades, with every day more vulnerable Syrians pushed into hunger," said Muhannad Hadi, who coordinates WFP operations in Syria. The WFP said almost 6.3 million people in the country needed "urgent, life-saving, food assistance." It pledged to focus on preventing child malnutrition, giving food supplements to 240,000 children aged 6 to 23 months.
