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The fifth annual conference for the prevention of famine for Syrian refugees, the event organized by the European Union requested $ 4.2 billion for people inside Syria and $ 5.8 billion for refugees and host countries in the Middle East.
The United Nations raised more than $ 7 billion in 2020 and 2019, but global body officials will continue to push for more pledges throughout this year and will have time to do so as the money is split between 2021 and 2022. .
“Financial institutions and donors have also approved low-interest loans worth $ 7 billion,” said Janez Linarkic, European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management.
Around 24 million people need basic aid in Syria and the surrounding region, an increase of 4 million from the previous year, the highest number so far since the campaign launched by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against pro-protesters. of democracy in 2011, which led to the outbreak of civil war.
“Things are getting worse, we have been through death, destruction, displacement, disease, terror and despair for ten years,” said Mark Lowcock, a United Nations aid official, via a link from video, adding that the United Nations has organized the largest response plan to Syria and the region to save thousands of lives.
International commitments
Germany pledged to contribute 1,738 million euros (2,040 million dollars), the highest amount in four years, and the support of the European Union, which comes from its common budget separately from its members, remained fixed at 560 million euros. euros, and other promises came. throughout the day, including $ 100 million from Qatar and about $ 600 million from the United States.
Britain promised 205 million pounds ($ 281.16 million), but David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, said this amount was less than the 300 million pounds that Britain promised last year and urged London to provide more.
Late Monday night, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for the continued opening of Syrian borders to allow unhindered access and the free flow of aid, and Josep Borrell, head of foreign policy for the European Union, repeated the same call.
“It is imperative that aid reaches those who need it,” Borrell said. “It is vitally important that humanitarian aid is provided to these people.”
Fighting between the Syrian army and the armed opposition has subsided since a deal ended a year ago with a Russian-led bombing campaign that displaced more than a million people, but the Iranian-backed Syrian army continues to target militant sites, Russian-backed airstrikes.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement called on international donors to help rebuild Syria, in particular to repair health services, water and electricity.
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, urged world powers to reach a peace agreement, otherwise they will face more donor conferences for Syria. “The ultimate responsibility rests with the parties to the conflict,” he said.
The European Union says that it is not possible to start a reconstruction process with foreign aid in Syria without a peace agreement between the government and the armed opposition.
