US pledges almost $600 mln in humanitarian aid for Syrians, urges others to do more

The top US diplomat announced Tuesday that Washington would provide almost $600 million in new humanitarian aid to help the Syrian people and refugees stranded due to the 10-year-old conflict.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the new aid would amount to $596 million.

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The new pledge will attempt to aid millions of internally displaced Syrians (IDP). That number is estimated to be around 13 million. Turkey is hosting another 4 million Syrian refugees, and an estimated 2 million Syrian refugees are in Lebanon. Jordan, Iraq and Egypt also host millions more.

“The Syrian people have faced innumerable atrocities, including Assad regime and Russian airstrikes, forced disappearances, ISIS brutality, and chemical weapons attacks,” Blinken said as the fifth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region” was held.

“Furthermore, systemic corruption and economic mismanagement at the hands of the Assad regime have exacerbated the dire humanitarian crisis, which has been further compounded by the challenge of COVID-19,” Blinken added.

Blinken also urged other donors to support the Syrian people by increasing their contributions to humanitarian relief efforts.

Read more:

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World urged to donate to Syria after decade of war

Millions of young Syrians paid heavy toll during 'decade of savage loss': ICRC