São Paulo – A conference promoted on Thursday (30) in Kuwait City generated almost US$ 1 billion in donations for Syrian civilians faced with the conflict which is coming to two years in the country. The meeting had the support of the United Nations and counted on participation of almost 60 nations, among them Japan, Tunisia, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, South Korea, the United States, China and European nations.
Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates should each donate US$ 300 million to Syria. Saudi Arabia should also grant another US$ 300 million. Bahrain announced aid of US$ 20 million and Germany has informed a donation of US$ 10 million euros, equivalent to US$ 13 million. The United Nations hope for other countries to make donations so that the US$ 1.5 billion to assist the victims of the conflict over the next six months may be reached.
According to the UN, the US$ 1.5 billion will be used to provide for the basic needs of four million Syrian homeless in their own country and for the 700,000 refugees that sought support in Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, among others.
The undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and coordinator for emergency assistance of the United Nations (UN), Valerie Amos, stated that of all the donations, US$ 519 million should be used to supply four priorities of the Syrian people in the country: supply food, water and medication to the most vulnerable, help people who left their homes and the communities that received them, assist in the reconstruction of infrastructure and avoid the poorest reaching total poverty.
The secretary general of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon, who presided the conference, recognized that each country has its financial challenges, but stated that funds cannot be spared when lives must be saved and the desperately needy must be aided. He stated that the situation in the country is catastrophic and worsens by the day and suggested that the only solution to the Syrian conflict is “political”.
“The bloodshed and misery will end only when there is a political solution. I appeal to all sides, and particularly to the Syrian Government, to stop the killing. In the name of humanity: stop the violence,” said Ban.
The secretary general at the United Nations (UN) also met on Wednesday with Jordanian king Abdullah II, and thanked him for the support of his country to the Syrian refugees. Jordan has been receiving the greatest part of people who leave the neighbouring country. Abdullah stated at the conference, however, that Amman cannot assist the refugees anymore. “We have reached the end of the line, we have exhausted our resources,” he said.
The emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, recognized that the situation in Syria is serious and lamented the lack of solutions to the conflict, which has already resulted in some 60,000 dead, according to estimates by the United Nations (UN), ever since the forces of the Bashar Al-Assad government started facing the opposition, in early 2011.
“We deeply regret the lack of success of all their sincere efforts and… ideas and plans, which, if approved, would have stopped the suffering and pain of the Syrian people and its escalation to this horrible level that we are currently witnessing,” said the emir, according to information disclosed by Kuwait News Agency, Kuna.
*Translated by Mark Ament
