MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th March, 2021) United Nations humanitarian, refugee and development chief urged on Monday ahead of the fifth Brussels conference for Syria international donors to help millions of people in Syria and the region who depend on donations after a decade of war, the United Nations said in a statement.
"An investment in kindness and humanity is always good but sustaining the basic living standards for people in Syria is also an essential ingredient of sustainable peace. That is in everybody's interest," UN humanitarian chief Mark Lockwood said as quoted by the statement.
According to the UN, as of March 29, 24 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian or any other form of help. Furthered by the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, this number is the highest since the beginning of the conflict.
"For refugees from Syria and their host communities in the region, the COVID-19 pandemic hit during a decade-long crisis � stretching them to breaking point. At present, poverty and inequality are skyrocketing as hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs and livelihoods," UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner added.
The financing in need will be used in UN's response plan which will fund food, water and sanitation, health services, education, child vaccinations and shelter for millions of Syrians. In 2021, over $10 billion is needed.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that the gains achieved over the years are already at risk and a need to do more can not be ignore.
"A failure to do so will be catastrophic for the people and the region," he added.
Last year's Brussels conference promised a total of $5.5 billion on funding to support humanitarian resilience and development activities in Syria for the year 2020.
