Published 12:00 IST, June 30th 2020
UN urges more aid for Syrians ahead of virtual donor conference in Brussels
The UN and the European Union will host a conference at 5.30 IST on June 30 to raise urgently needed funds for war-torn Syria and the region impacted by it.
- World News
- 2 min read
The United Nations and the European Union will host a conference on June 30 to raise urgently needed funds for war-torn Syria and the region impacted by it. UN partners, governments and other donors will come together at the Fourth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" to help refugees battling the crisis amplified by the pandemic.
Ahead of the virtual meeting, the UN urged international donors to redouble their commitment to Syrians and the region amid additional urgency due to coronavirus pandemic. The Heads of the UN’s humanitarian, development, and refugee agencies called for solidarity with countries hosting record levels of refugees and continued support to the UN programmes.
Contributors are expected to pledge $3.8 billion for the UN and partners’ humanitarian work inside Syria and $6.04 billion for Syria’s neighbourhood hosting refugees. Over 11 million people need aid and protection but only 30 per cent and 19 per cent of the respective requirements have been funded so far.
Impact of COVID-19
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said in a statement that the conflict in Syria has lasted almost as long as the First and Second World War combined and a whole generation of children has known nothing but hardship, destruction and deprivation. He said that the world can do something for nearly 2.5 million children who are out of school and millions who remain displaced amid crumbling economy.
“Generous pledges, quickly paid out, can help the UN and humanitarian NGOs stay the course in Syria and get people the food, shelter, health services and protection they urgently need,” said Lowcock.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that the pandemic has had an immediate and devastating impact on livelihoods of millions of Syrian refugees and their hosts in the region. He called on the international community to come together with sustained and predictable support for Syrian refugees and the countries hosting them.
Updated 12:00 IST, June 30th 2020