UN and humanitarian organizations demand an increase in humanitarian funding to Syria one year after the earthquake

Capitals, (ST) – The United Nations and humanitarian organizations called on the international community and donor countries to increase the humanitarian funding allocated to Syria, one year after the earthquake disaster that struck the country on February 6 last year which exacerbated the suffering of the Syrian people.

United Nations officials said in a joint statement, a copy of which was received by SANA that the earthquake exacerbated the humanitarian situation of the Syrian people, not to mention the damage estimated at billions of dollars.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Adam Abdel Mawla, and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Crisis in Syria, Muhannad Hadi affirmed in the statement published on the United Nations Population Fund website that millions of Syrians today need humanitarian assistance. They renewed their commitment to helping the Syrian people by enabling communities to recover and rebuild.

Abdel Mawla and Hadi expressed gratitude for the support provided by donors, stressing the need for more support, and that inaction will lead to worsening suffering and will affect everyone, because time is not on anyone’s side.

In this context, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator pointed out the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Syria as a result of earthquakes and war, which led to an increase in the number of individuals in need of humanitarian assistance this year.

Mads Breinsch Hansen, Head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Syria, pointed out the pivotal role of collective action efforts with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in reaching more than 3.5 million people. He said that the need is still great, as millions are suffering due to difficult economic conditions resulting from the war and the earthquake disaster.

Raghda Sawas