Damascus, Aug. 4th, 2007 (WAM)--- Princess Haya Bint AI Hussein, WFP GoodwillAmbassador, today joined lames Morris, WFP Executive Director, on a one-dayvisit to Lebanese refugees in Syria. Together they urged increased assistancein alleviating the suffering on both sides of the border.

"Politicians must stand up together to put an end to this senseless conflictby making humanity the priority," said Princess Haya. "This would be byallowing food to reach the source of the problem without interference,and by allowing us to distribute the food to make our children's livesbearable and to give them some of that hope they desperately need rightnow," said Princess Haya.

"With every day that the fighting continues, we are going to see moremisery and more displaced people fleeing across the border. We have todo everything we can to case their suffering and to ensure that hungerdoes not make their plight even worse," said Morris, who arrived latelast night on his t1rst official visit to Syria.

Morris said that the overnight bombing of the highway north from Beirutto the Syrian border had cut the road in at least three places, effectivelysevering a vital humanitarian lifeline between Lebanon and the outsideworld. As a result, today WFP has postponed its planned supply convoyfrom the humanitarian hub in Areeda, Syria.

"The destruction of this vital supply route has serious repercussionsfor the overall relief effort in Lebanon," Morris said.

WFP-managed convoys have been making regular deliveries of humanitarianstaff and cargo over the border from Areeda, which was one of the fewsafecrossing points still open to traffic between the two countries. Overthe past few days, tens of thousands of refugees have been flooding overthe border to escape the fighting.

Morris expressed concern that so far, WFP had only been able to reachless than half the people in southern Lebanon requiring food assistance.

Today, only one of the two planned convoys managed to proceed (to Jezzin)due to overnight bombardment in the suburbs of South Beirut. The convoyplanned for Tyre and Rashidiyeh did not go ahead as the truck driverswere unable to leave their apartments.

The hampering of road deliveries makes the start of WFP flights todaydirectlyinto Beirut even more important. This morning, 10 tons of WFP high energybiscuits and 2 tons of other essential supplies departed from the UN HumanitarianDepot in Brindisi, Italy aboard a C-130 Hercules aircraft, made possibleby the generous offer from the Government of Portugal. The aircraft isexpected to conduct four rotations between Friday and Monday, deliveringa total of 42 metric tons of WFP high-energy biscuits, four tons of medicalsupplies for the World Health Organisation as well as other urgently-neededrelief supplies.

"We are grateful to the Syrian and Portuguese governments in lending theirsupport to our humanitarian operation. This is a challenging work demandingour combined efforts," said Morris.

Since starting its convoys last week (26 July), WFP has delivered a totalof 280 metric tons of food into the south, enough for 80,000 people forone week. WFP convoys carrying food and other relief items on behalf ofWHO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNRW A and several NGOs, have been severelyhampered by security and logistical problems, including damaged roads,forcing long detours over difficult terrain. as well as mechanical breakdowns.

In Syria. WFP started on Monday (31 July) to distribute food aid to nearly7,000 Lebanese people who have taken refuge in the capital,Damascus, over recent weeks. The agency will distribute three tons ofbread each day to the beneficiaries who are living in schools or abandonedpublic buildings. Current indications suggest the number of refugees needingassistance in Damascus could rise to 20,000 people in the coming days.

Distributions of food aid are due to begin shortly in central and northernSyria.

WFP operations within the UN /lash appeal have been budgeted at a totalU8$48 million, including logistical support and an emergency operationto provide food aid_ valued at US$8.9 mi1lion, to respond to the immediatefood needs of displaced Lebanese. WFP is prioritizing assistance to 95,000displaced people seeking shelter in schools and public institutions inBeirut, 165,000 people in the heaviest-hit areas in southern Lebanon and50,000 of the approximately 140,000 people in Syria who have fled theconflict.

With the situation deteriorating by the day, WFP plans to expand its assistancein both Syria and Lebanon.

"I implore the international community to put a stop to the violence andcease the rhetoric. Dialogue and action is what is required now to makethis region a better place for the adults of tomorrow, who have so muchto give and to offer the world in return/' stressed Princess Haya. "Ifwe turn our backs on them, we will see our world plummeting into a viciouscycle e of violence, from which there is no foreseeable positive future,"Princess Haya said.

"So many people have lost their lives in this conflict. Peace must berestored so that we can help these survivors return home to rebuild theirlives," said Morris.

Of the US$8.9 million required for its emergency operation to providefood aid to 300,000 displaced people in Lebanon and Syria, WFP has receiveddonations from Saudi Arabia (U8$2 million) Australia (U8$1million) Denmark (US$168,351) and Luxembourg (U8$314,000). For its specialoperations, including logistics serving other humanitarian partners, WFPhas received donations from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (US$3million), the United States (US$3 mil1ion) Norway (U8$1.1 million), Denmark(U8$673,00), Germany (U8$510,000) and Australia (US$480,000)WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give foodto an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs,including 58 mi11ion hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorestcountries.

WAM - MMYS-