Al-Shammat: Meeting Displaced Families Basic Needs, Priority
DAMASCUS, (ST) – Meeting the basic needs of terrorism-affected families in more than 700 temporary sheltering centers is a top priority of the Higher Relief Committee’s policy, Minister of Social Affairs Kinda al-Shammat said on Wednesday, stressing media’s important role in explaining the way the committee conveys the assistance to the displaced families in all Syrian provinces.
In a press conference, al-Shammat said that the ministry has put a framework for cooperation between the country’s civil society associations and the UN relief organizations acting in Syria, so as these associations draw up a development plan to distribute humanitarian assistance in as many areas as possible based on the branch relief committees’ assessment to the requirements of each area.
She pointed out that these associations should open a bank account especially for the assistance provided by international organizations.
Regarding the financial aid provided by UN Higher Commission for Refugees to the affected families, Minister al-Shammat said the ministry specified the conditions of providing this kind of assistance so as to meet the needs of most affected families based on lists prepared by the Local Administration Ministry in coordination with the governor of each provice.
“The work of the international relief organizations acting in Syria is not up to the expectations,” al-Shammat said, pointing out that the ministry plans to implement several programs aiming to provide psychological and social support for families, particularly women and children, staying at temporary shelters and that in this respect, the ministry will sign an agreement with the UNICEF on social and psychological care.
Regarding the financial support provided to civil society associations, al-Shammat said that the ministry last year transferred some (SYP) 120 million to these associations. The money are to be also transferred to branch relief committees in the Syrian provinces according to the needs of each area.
H. Mustafa