IDLIB — The World Food Program (WFP) has reduced the contents of food baskets provided to the needy in all Syrian areas, most notably in the northwest.

The Syrian Response Coordination Group (RCG), an Idlib-based humanitarian NGO assisting the displaced, said in a statement on Sept. 7 that the new reduction makes it less adequate for daily nutrition. 

The RCG further warned all humanitarian agencies not to reduce aid further, which may cause uncontrollable famine. It called on all international bodies to increase support to civilians in the area, noting that the number of people in need exceeds 3.4 million.

The baskets have been reduced several times in the past year-plus. Mohamad Karnebo, who works for one of the organizations that distribute aid through the WFP, told Al-Monitor that the items are distributed to families on a monthly basis and contain bulgur, rice, whole lentils, chickpeas, vegetable oil, salt, sugar and flour. Each family gets the same size basket, but it is not enough for a large family. The recent cuts in the food basket, he added, have reduced vegetable oil from six liters to four liters. Sugar was reduced from six kg to five kg, and bulgur from 15 kg to 7.5 kg, according to him.