Shabana: Syria must remain on the list of donors’ priorities

Damascus (ST): The Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Louay Shabana, stressed that Syria must remain on the list of donors’ priorities, as the needs are great and the crisis in the country is not over yet.

During a press conference he held at the end of his visit to Syria, Shabana made it clear that Syria has not escaped the cycle of need despite the improvement in the situation, calling on donors who have provided generously to increase funding because the needs are great.

Shabana explained that the Fund’s work in Syria is expanding due to the facilities provided by the government in the field of access to various population centers and the opening of offices for it in several places in the country, indicating that there has been a positive development from an operational point of view, which allowed access to other groups of needy people.

 Shabana pointed out that the services provided by the fund increased this year by 37 percent compared to 2019, but the concern continues due to the increase in needs on the ground and the increase in sites of need for reproductive health services and combating gender-based violence.

Shabana expressed his hope that the Syrian state and donors will reach as soon as possible to develop the strategic framework document that organizes the work of the United Nations in Syria with the aim of reaching all target groups in the economic, social, environmental, population and relief fields.

K.Q.