UN agency urges governments to donate to help refugee

Displaced Syrians on frontline as food aid cut by 40 per cent.

SHARJAH // The UN refugee agency urged governments to open their purses and donate generously so that aid agencies did not have to make “heartbreaking” decisions and reduce their assistance to refugees. The agency’s call came after the World Food Programme decided to cut food aid by 40 per cent to 4.2 million Syrians displaced internally as well as 2 million refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.

“The UN had sent an appeal last December asking for US$4.2 billion [Dh15.4bn] to support internally displaced persons and people who have fled the country,” said Mohammed Abu Asaker, public information and communications officer at UNHCR in Abu Dhabi.

“Ten months later, we have just received 50 per cent of the target. We are very short.

“If money doesn’t arrive, it will force us and our partners to take heartbreaking decisions and cut services.

“We need money to respond to people’s needs, especially as we are reaching winter.

“We need to keep them warm and, in many countries, the temperatures dip below zero.

“The UN and its 150 partners need help.”

Mr Asaker was speaking on the sidelines of the UNHCR’s first regional conference, in Sharjah, which aims to protect refugee children.