The UN humanitarian, refugee and development chiefs on Monday asked for generous donations to help Syrians in the country and host communities for Syrian refugees.
UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, and UN Development Program Administrator Achim Steiner made the plea on the eve of the fifth Brussels conference for Syria.
Today, 24 million people need humanitarian or other forms of assistance in Syria and the region. The number is 4 million more than in 2020, and more than at any other time since the conflict began 10 years ago, said the UN chiefs in a joint press release.
Sustained donor financing for the UN response plans will fund food, water and sanitation, health services, education, child vaccinations and shelter for millions of people living on the brink in Syria. It will also provide cash assistance, job or training opportunities, and other services such as access to primary and secondary education to millions in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt, they said.
In 2021, over 10 billion U.S. dollars is needed to fully support Syrians and refugee-hosting communities in need. This includes at least 4.2 billion dollars for the humanitarian response inside Syria and 5.8 billion dollars to support refugees and host communities in the region, they said.
At last year's conference in Brussels, the international community pledged 5.5 billion dollars for 2020 activities.
