UN raises alarm as Syria refugee funds dry up
Needs are growing at an alarming rate, a rate that far outpaces the support being provided, official says
Published: 15:06 June 25, 2015 Gulf News
Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor
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Dubai: Only 23 per cent of the funds needed by the UN and NGOs to aid Syrian refugees has been received so far, a UN report says.
Six months have passed since the regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) was launched in December with a total of $5.5 billion (Dh20.2 billion), including $1 billion to support the requirements of the host governments, and $4.5 billion for Syrian refugees, the report added.
But only $1.06 billion had been received as at the end of May, it added.
“We appreciate all the generous donations and contributions of our donors, however, the protracted nature of the Syrian humanitarian situation, which is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our era, means that needs are growing at an alarming rate, a rate that far outpaces the support being provided, said Ameen Awad, Director for Middle East and North Africa (Mena) at the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“The situation is one where half of the Syrian population are either internally displaced or outside Syria. Needless to say, this requires the international community’s attention and commitment to do more in order for us to meet pressing humanitarian needs,” he added in a statement to Gulf News.
The UNHCR has said that Syrian refugees are the largest number of refugees under its mandate and the size of the humanitarian crisis in Syria is the biggest since the Second World War.
Millions of Syrians have either became displaced internally, or have fled to neighbouring countries: Turkey, Lebanon Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
The Syrian refugee crisis coincides with other humanitarian tragedies in other parts of the region, including Iraq and Yemen.
While Awad said all refugees are equally important to UNHCR regardless of their nationalities, he added that the 3RP is an international appeal to respond to the Syria crisis, as there are other appeals for other countries.
The UN appeal to Syria is planned based on a scenario estimating the number of Syrian refugees by the end of the year reaching 4.27 million, and aims to assist nearly 20 million people in affected Syrian communities being hosted in neighbouring countries.
More than 200 partners in the 3RP in response to the Syria crisis are calling on the international community to act faster to deliver on their pledges of support.
‘Struggle’
“Well into its fifth year, the Syria crisis is having an impact on development and global security. If the call for action remains unheeded, a generation of Syrians will be left behind, and neighbouring countries will continue to struggle to provide a public good that they cannot and should not have to bear alone,” added Awad.
The 3RP partners warn that if no more funds arrive up to 130,000 vulnerable families will not be provided with cash assistance to help them meet their basic needs and vulnerable people will stop receiving their monthly food vouchers altogether, said the UN. The delivery of water and wastewater services for millions of people across the region will be also in jeopardy, and up to 1.7 million people may face winter this year without fuel, shelter, insulation, blankets or warm clothes.
The harsh winter last year and this year caused the death of a number of people, mainly children.
