New York, May 15 (QNA) - UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher called Friday on the international community to continue providing tangible support to Syria, noting that nearly two-thirds of the Syrian population needs assistance this year.

In his address to the UN Security Council, Fletcher said that the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to increased food and fuel costs, with immediate consequences for communities already on the brink. He pointed out that while the level of violence has decreased and humanitarian access has improved, funding levels are declining at a faster rate than the needs.

He also stressed that delaying the recovery process will ultimately cost more lives and more money, explaining that with nearly half the year having passed, the humanitarian appeal for Syria remains just over 16 percent funded, with almost 90 percent of this funding coming from the United States, European countries, Japan, and Canada.

Funding shortages forced the World Food Programme (WFP) this week to cut its emergency food assistance in Syria by 50 percent and suspend its nationwide bread subsidy program, which provided support to millions of people daily, Fletcher said.

The WFP had previously reported a significant reduction in its operations in Syria due to funding shortfalls, noting that the number of people receiving food assistance had fallen from 1.3 million to just 650,000 in May. (QNA)