On Wednesday, the United Nations announced that it would cut emergency food aid for Syria by 50% and end the bread support program that millions of Syrians depend on, citing funding shortages.

The World Food Programme, headquartered in Rome, said in a statement that it would cut the number of emergency aid beneficiaries from 1.3 million to 650,000.

It noted that Syria has experienced relative stability since the end of the civil war, while 7.2 million people still suffer from severe food insecurity.

As part of its operations, the program said it supported more than 300 bakeries by supplying them with fortified wheat flour.

The release stated that “the bread support program was a lifeline, as it kept this essential food affordable.”

Marianne Ward, the program director in Syria, said that “the reduction of World Food Programme aid is solely due to funding shortages, not a decrease in needs.”

She added, “This is a critical moment for Syria. Recovery is still fragile, needs are vast, and we are forced to withdraw a fundamental safety net.”

Moreover, the program said that the funding shortfall also affects Syrian refugees in neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.

According to the program’s regional director, Samer Abdeljaber, “the most vulnerable families in the region face the cumulative effects of prolonged crises, rising costs, and decreasing aid.”

The program clarified that it needs $189 million over the next six months to maintain and resume current aid in Syria.