Donors meeting in Kuwait pledged nearly $1.3 billion in humanitarian aid for victims of the Syrian war, which the UN chief said had left half the population in need of urgent help. The meeting comes just a week before the so-called ‘Geneva II’ peace meeting aimed at finding a political solution to the 34-month conflict that has claimed 130,000 lives.
Delegates from nearly 70 nations and 24 international organisations gathered for the one-day event chaired by UN chief Ban Ki-moon. The meeting had gathered some $1.3 billion by midday as the UN sought to raise an unprecedented $6.5 billion.
“Half of the total population of Syrian people, nearly 9.3 million individuals, urgently need humanitarian aid,” Ban told participants, pointing out that more than three million people have fled. “I am especially concerned about reports of starvation in Syria,” he said.
The host country led the donations with a pledge for $500 million announced by His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, Amir of Kuwait, at the opening of the conference. US State Secretary John Kerry announced a supplementary aid package of $380 million, bringing the total US humanitarian aid to Syria to $1.7 billion.
