UN resumes food aid for Syrian refugees

After a social media campaign brought in a significant cash infusion, the UN food agency said Tuesday it has reinstated a food aid program that helps feed more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees.

In early December, the World Food Program suspended electronic food vouchers for Syrians who had fled to Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. The move triggered panic among the refugees, threatening to starve thousands of families and add pressure on the already strained countries hosting them.

On Tuesday, WFP said the voucher program was on again, thanks an unusual campaign it launched on social media to raise $1 contributions from 64 million people around the world.

The WFP said it solicited $1.8 million in donations from almost 14,000 people and from private sector donors in 158 countries.