GENEVA, May 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned Tuesday that food supplies for 2.2 million refugees are now threatened by the lack of donor support.

    WFP now urgently needs 315 million US dollars to meet the needsof 2.2 million refugees living in camps, and 75 percent of this sum is required for Africa alone, the UN agency said in a press release.

    WFP has already been forced to reduce food rations for refugeesin Africa. Without new contributions, the organization said, it will have to resort to more cuts.

    "Refugees are among WFP's most vulnerable beneficiaries and have been hit hard by shortfalls," said WFP Deputy Executive Director John Powell, who is in Geneva to discuss funding with officials of the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

    WFP assists refugees and returnees in collaboration with UNHCR through 25 operations worldwide.

    "Many of the refugees rely almost entirely on food aid for their survival," said Powell. "They are frequently confined to camps where arable land, if available, is scarce and employment opportunities are limited."

    This month, WFP began reducing rations to refugees in Sierra Leone. Food rations have also been cut for refugees in Guinea and Liberia, as only 40 percent of its appeal for 93.5 million dollarsfor refugees in west Africa has been funded so far, said the Rome-based agency. Enditem