The international community has yesterday (Wednesday) committed to finance a total of US$6 billion in humanitarian aid, in 2017, for the Syrian population and refugees. This came during a conference on Syria's future which took place in Brussels.
The European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Christos Styliandides, stated when closing the meeting, that the conference had made it possible to garner “a collective undertaking of US$6 billion for this year alone.”
Describing this figure as “impressive,” Mr Stylianides immediately added, “It is a tangible sign of our solidarity” but “henceforth we must go beyond these actual statements to implement our financial undertakings.”
He stated that the European Union, the largest donor in the world to the Syrian conflict, is committing to putting US$1.3 billion on the table “for the current year.”
The UN estimates needing US$8.1 billion in 2017 to finance its humanitarian aid programmes. This includes US$4.7 billion for Syrian refugees and the communities of the countries currently accommodating them.
The previous conference of Syrian donors, in February 2016, was held in London. It gained commitments for donations from the international community, over a period of several years, of US$12 billion dollars. This included some US$6 billion dollars for 2016.
The Brussels Times
