UN receives $1.77 billion donated for Syrians

The UN has received $1.77 billion out of the $2.65bn pledged for the Syrians during the donor conference held in Kuwait earlier this year. The details were revealed by UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien on Tuesday during his speech at the fifth meeting of donor states, also in Kuwait. He noted that 7.5 million Syrians have been displaced internally, while 4 million others have sought refuge in other countries.

Meanwhile, the head of the Kuwaiti NGO International Islamic Charity, and the UN envoy for humanitarian affairs, Abdullah Al-Matouq, hailed the participation of Switzerland as a new member of the group of big donors. He also noted the participation in the conference of countries hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees.

Al-Matouq warned that the crisis might outrun the abilities of the donor states and humanitarian aid agencies to make any significant impact. The fact that the conflict is now entering its fifth year without a solution, he said, is a “shameful stigma on the human conscience.”

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Jarallah said that the UN reports show that more than 220,000 Syrians have been killed, with more than a million others wounded in the fighting.

In three donor conferences held in Kuwait in 2013, 2014 and 2015, $3.8 billion was pledged by donors.