Syrian refugees receiving WFP assistance in Turkey

The World Food Program (WFP) said on Tuesday its expanded food assistance program in Turkey has doubled the number of Syrians it supports in the camps to 80,000 people. Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman with the WFP, said as her agency and the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) started the distribution of Electronic Food Cards in four new camps, they are now supporting over 40 percent of the total camp population of Syrians in 11 out of the total 17 camps in Turkey. About 190,000 Syrians who fled violence in their country were now taking refuge in government-run camps in Turkey, according to Byrs. The WFP launched in October 2012 the Electronic Food Card program, in which the card itself works like a typical credit card and was pre-loaded with 80 Turkish Liras (45 U.S. dollars) per family member per month. Byrs said it was enough for them to purchase sufficient food items for a basic nutritious diet. To be able to continue and expand its assistance to other camps in Turkey, the WFP needs some 10 million dollars until June 2013, she said.