UAE releases US$60m more aid for Syria victims

The bulk of money has been used to provide shelter, food, health care and sanitation for people affected by the conflict.

A member of the UAE Red Cresent talking to a Syrian child refugee. The UAE pledged another US$60m to refugees in Syria on April 1, 2014. Wam

ABU DHABI // The UAE yesterday released a further US$60 million (Dh220m) in aid pledged to victims of the civil war in Syria.

Most of the money will provide shelter, food, health care and sanitation for Syrian and Palestinian civilians affected by the conflict: $50m will help those displaced inside Syria and the rest will support refugees in camps in Jordan.

The toughest challenge is to reach people inside the war-torn country, said Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation.

“The suffering outside can be controlled because of the camps and supporting countries but the real challenge is inside Syria to reach them,” she said.

The aid programme will be implemented on behalf of the UAE by United Nations agencies on the ground: the World Food Programme, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organisation and Unicef, the UN Children’s Fund.

“We are very grateful for this extremely timely contribution from the UAE government,” the World Food Programme’s executive director Ertharin Cousin said.

“For WFP, this funding comes at a critical time. We work to meet the ongoing food assistance needs of nearly seven million Syrians who have been worn down by the three-year conflict.”

“This significant investment demonstrates the generosity of the UAE and its people as they lead by example, shouldering the burden of a crisis that has gone beyond the borders of Syria,” Ms Cousin said.

“Your support also reflects humanitarian solidarity with the countries hosting refugees. You are saving lives of innocent children, vulnerable men and women.”

A lack of funding forced the WFP to reduce by 20 per cent the March food basket provided to vulnerable families inside Syria.

Muhannad Hadi, its emergency coordinator for Syria, said: “We are grateful to the generosity of our donors, whose contributions have enabled us to save lives, but our emergency operation is running hand-to-mouth and our funding has now reached dangerous levels.”

Unicef also welcomed the new aid.

"This generous support from the UAE comes at a critical time for Syrian children. As the human costs of the conflict grow, the commitment of partners such as the UAE is increasingly important," said its executive director, Anthony Lake.

The UAE pledged $300m in 2013 at the humanitarian conference for Syria in Kuwait and another $60m in January. The latter sum was allocated yesterday.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the problem of Syrian refugees has become an international issue and required concerted efforts to alleviate the suffering of people from the conflict that claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced millions of others.

About $110m has been spent by the UAE, including the private sector and individuals, since 2012 in providing aid to the victims of the Syrian crisis.

Sheikha Lubna’s ministry estimates that nine million people need aid and protection. There are 6.5 million internally displaced, and 2.6 million have taken refuge in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Turkey.