Families in Syria areincreasingly resorting to begging for food to cope withshortages and high prices wrought by the civil war, the WorldFood Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
The conflict between President Bashar al-Assad and rebelstrying to overthrow him has killed 93,000 people, uprootedmillions of people, destroyed livelihoods and wrecked property,businesses and infrastructure worth tens of billions of dollars.
A survey of 105 families conducted by WFP food monitors inseven provinces, including the hotspots of Homs and Aleppo inApril and May, found many switching to lower-quality foods inorder to spend less, the United Nations agency said.
"Those who cited begging as a coping strategy noted that ithad become their only option to cope with the deterioration intheir living conditions," WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told anews briefing in Geneva.
She said the WFP was stepping up food deliveries in Syriaahead of the start in early July of the Islamic holy month ofRamadan, during which devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and economic activities are disrupted.
"We have to anticipate that during month of Ramadan..., some transport activities will slow down or stop. It is urgentto ensure delivery to ensure normal distribution to families."
Some 9 percent of those interviewed reported begging forassistance, a rise from 5 percent in March, Byrs said.
"They need fresh products which are missing from theirdiet," she told Reuters. "Many markets are not stocked orproducts are expensive".
WFP hoped to reach 2.5 million Syrians with food supplies inJune, up from 2.4 million in May.