Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE UNITED NATIONS is appealing for a record €17.8 billion in emergency aid, half of which is for victims of Syria’s war, which is expected to generate another two million refugees next year.
Today’s appeal comes as dozens of people were reportedly killed in Aleppo after regime war-planes dropped barrels packed with explosives on rebel-held districts of the northern city, a focal point of the 33-month war.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 76 people died yesterday, among them 28 children, in the highest toll for air raids since the war started, while 10 others, including four children, were killed by the same weapons today.
A fifth child was killed today when a shell struck a school in a regime-held neighbourhood, according to the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on activists and medics on the ground for its reports.
The UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA, which launched the appeal for emergency aid, said the funds are needed for 2014, when the number of Syrian refugees in the Middle East will nearly double to exceed four million.
Aid will also be needed for another 9.3 million people inside the war-ravaged country, it said.
A Syrian refugee boy fetches water at a refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon [Bilal Hussein/AP/Press Association Images]
“This is a tragedy,” lamented Antonio Guterres, who heads the UN refugee agency UNHCR. He described Syria’s war and its regional impact as “the most dangerous crisis for global peace and security since World War II”.
The UN’s World Food Programme said that almost half Syria’s population of 23 million “is food insecure” while nearly a third “need urgent, life-saving food assistance.”
It echoed the assessment of other organisations on the plight of Syrians inside the country and in refugee camps across the Middle East, which have been battered by inclement weather over the past week.
The International Rescue Committee, an NGO, said the price of bread in Syria has soared by 500 percent since March 2011, while the cost of blankets, at €37, is prohibitively high, amounting to “93 per cent of the average monthly income”.
[Bilal Hussein/AP/Press Association Images]
More than 126,000 people have been killed in the war pitting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad against rebels fighting to topple his family’s four-decade-old regime.
Around 2.4 million refugees have already fled, mainly to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
‘Worst crisis’ in decades
The strain on countries hosting refugees is projected to worsen next year, with OCHA now predicting the number of refugees will nearly double to 4.1 million in 2014.
OCHA said it and other international aid agencies and organisations would need a record $12.9 billion to help some 52 million people affected by 17 major crises around the world in 2014.
Nearly half of that amount will go to the Syrian conflict, with €3.12 billion needed for aid inside Syria and €5.78 billion needed for the refugees and their host communities in the region.
WFP said it was stepping up food aid next year and would also provide supplements to around 240,000 toddlers aged 6-23 months, to ensure they do not suffer from malnutrition.
Humanitarian aid is loaded onto a plane for Syrian refugees in Irbil airport, Iraq [STR/AP/Press Association Images]
“This is the worst humanitarian crisis that we have seen in decades, with every day more vulnerable Syrians pushed into hunger,” said WFP Syria emergency coordinator Muhannad Hadi.
The opposition Syrian National Coalition meanwhile accused the Assad regime of deliberately targeting civilians with the explosive barrel attacks.
The regime “is trying, through a savage campaign against Aleppo, to take revenge and spread chaos in civilian areas” of rebel-controlled zones, it said.
The UN Children’s Fund also condemned the attacks, with regional director Maria Calivis saying “it is absolutely unacceptable for children to be targeted in this manner.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Your very sad story reminds me of an old Portugese saying: ” Oh God that bread and butter are so dear, and blood and flesh so cheap”
Yeah , why don’t the US and UK give aid that sustains life instead of aid that destroys life , you can’t eat bombs barrack .
Hear hear.
Petr, the US, UK and all the other countries that you don’t like are always the ones stepping forward to give aid. Go look it up and see who are the largest givers of international aid. You continue to be a ignorant individual.
Those countries have killed million of people over the last few decades. You’re a shill for the Declan. You really are an utter disgrace in addition to being a simpleton.
Petr, “millions of people over the last few decades”? Evidence please?
How many millions did your Marxists buddies kill in Southeast Asia during the 70′s. How about your friend Stalin in the 30′s.
John, in the last 10 years the US has given $50 billion worldwide in the fight against aids. 10 million people with HIV are on anti-viral drugs because of this aid. You and petr need to do some research on US international aid. It’s not all bombs.
US foreign aid stands at $59 billion a year!
I remember a long time ago, fado fado, not understanding how people allowed Hitler to get away with what he did, safe in the belief that never again could one Man’s Ego,cause so much destruction, and yet again it is happening before us. We cannot claim we have no knowledge if it as it is before our eyes on TV , Internet, Newspapers. So why then are we allowing it to happen, how can one man`s EGO, allow millions of innocent lives to be displaced. If he was a true Syrian leader he would not allow that to happen to his own People. We all were given a VOICE. Use it
Why aren’t America offering to help? They were more than willing to blow the shite out of Syria a couple of months ago! Oh sorry, that’s not their way of helping.
And may I just add “in the name of saving the citizens”
Why does it have to be “America”…what about the neighbouring stinking rich oil saturated countries nearby…all of which are Muslim by the way the same religion as most if these people….or Russia…or China…etc etc…
Because I refer to a country that was “willing” to spend billions on “Freeing a population from tyranical rule” through bullets and bombs but remain silent on humanitarian aid. Because America sees itself as the world police and none of the wealthy neighbouring countries to Syria were willing to intervene because of their oil trade links to America.
Business and greed is what drives this world, not people, not the innocent.
Kris just doesn’t get it, absolute moron.
Refer to the measly paltry sum, China gave to the Philippines after a devastating earthquake, while the US sent in aircraft carriers with supplies and rescue teams to assist. This is one example. The US and the West in general are always there to help and assist where and when it’s required. These States around the Gulf couldnt care less…gold plated Lamborghinis are more important. If they were any good, they would be negotiating a truce of sorts or at at the very least sending humanitarian aid. Saudis Arabia could hand over €17 Billion in the morning to assist their Muslim brothers, loose change to them, wouldn’t even miss it…but they won’t. Kuwait, UAE the same. The Russians and Chinese also have serious clout in the region but won’t try and stop this civil war..why should it always fall on the shoulders of the West?
The Philippines earthquake was a natural disaster that didn’t involve the rape of the world’s natural resources. Middle east countries with major oil reserves want to stay in their own world so as not to rock the trade boat. America with 5% of the world population is consuming 25% of the world oil production. Why wouldn’t the neighbouring countries interviene in the Syria crisis? Who is their biggest customer for their biggest export? Who pays for their gold plated cars? Who made them as wealthy as they are if only for the demand for their exports?
If there war oil in Syria Ameria would help. That is help themselves to it.
Petr, it’s you that doesn’t get it! You moron.
Declan you incredibly ignorant boob, don’t you have letter to deliver?
Was not war oops
Kris the Saudis weren’t the ones trying to convince the rest of us we needed to arm and train Islamic jihadists to defeat Assad . Now those same terrorists are wreaking absolute havoc on the Syrian Christians , eating organs , beheading with blunt knives and burning in ovens . We were all bombarded with those pictures of civilians and children suffering from chemical weapons exposure to try and bring us into line and support arming , funding and training these people . The US and it’s allies were the ones pushing for this , so I think it’s only fair that they are the ones who front up the aid that will be needed to help feed all the refugees and dispersed that they helped to create . Sure the oil rich nations of the region should help out too .
Because of much international condemnation, the USA and UK do not support the Jihadists with weapons anymore. They are on the other hand the biggest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia and its allies who in turn directly fund and arm these groups. So through the back door if you will. French foreign minister Roland Dumas revealed that the British secret service approached him long before the uprising and asked for his help to create instability in Syria. ( If link does not work, print it in )
http://explosivereports.com/2013/07/07/former-french-foreign-minister-anglo-french-operations-against-assad-prepared-preconceived-and-planned/
Good man Petr, what don’t I get? If you have to use ad hominem attacks to back yourself up you have lost the argument…a frequent tactic of yours…a tactic of a weak individual.
“a tactic of a weak individual”
Says the anonyMOUSE!
Nothing on the journal about the US drone strike killing 12 people at a wedding party in Yemen on thurs either .
have your say