"The Syrian people have generously embraced nearly 1.5 million Iraqis in their midst. Donors have been supportive too. But more Iraqi women, children and men are unable to meet their basic food needs and social support systems in Syria are being overstretched," WFP executive director Josette Sheeran said Monday after meetings with senior Syrian officials and groups of Iraqi refugees in Damascus.

An increasing number of Iraqi refugees in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance despite the continuing efforts of the Syrian government to support them.

"I listened to the stories of courageous women who survived many tragedies and hardships in the past few years, Sheeran said at the end of a two-day trip, adding, "We appeal to donors for more support to help the vulnerable among the Iraqis in Syria live with dignity until they can go home safely."

About a third of Iraqi respondents in a recent U.N. assessment said they skipped one meal a day to feed their children. The assessment, conducted by WFP in collaboration with UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) showed that nearly 60 percent of the respondents resort to buying less expensive foods, often less nutritious, to cope with the food prices that have increased dramatically.

Based on this assessment, WFP said it would double the number of Iraqi refugees who receive food assistance. From the current caseload of 51,000 people, the U.N. food assistance agency will expand the assistance to cover as many as 114,000 of the most needy Iraqis in Syria by April 2008.

WFP, however, has not yet received enough funding for the current caseload. Its $ 5.6 million operation is facing a shortfall of 38 percent.

The Iraqis who benefit from WFP assistance receive a monthly food ration made up of rice, vegetable oil, and lentils.

In addition to $2 million that WFP assigned for the operation to assist Iraqi refugees in Syria from multi-lateral funds donated by various countries, the organization received contributions from the United States ($665,000), Switzerland ($438,000), Saudi Arabia ($268,000), and Norway ($24,000).

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency. In 2006 it gave food to 88 million people - mostly women and children - in 78 of the world's poorest countries.