Speed Reads
An influx of donations will let the U.N. World Food Program distribute food aid to 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt.
The program announced on Dec. 1 that it had run out of funding and could no longer add money to electronic vouchers refugees used to buy food, Reuters reports. In the days since, $80 million has been brought in — most of that is from various governments, but $1.8 million came from individuals and private sector donors in 158 countries. By mid-December, about $30 per family member will be put on each voucher, with some funds left over for January. "This outpouring of support in such a short time is unprecedented," WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said in a statement.