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Int community has ‘all but forgotten children in Syria’, charity says

May 11, 2022 at 11:12 am

Syrian family is seen at makeshift home during cold weather in Idlib, Syria on January 24, 2022. [Muhammed Said – Anadolu Agency]

Save the Children has warned that the $6.7 billion pledged by the international community at the sixth annual Brussels Conference for Syria is “woefully inadequate and falls far short of what is required”.

“It is with a heavy heart that it seems that, yet again, the international community has all but forgotten children in Syria and neighbouring countries who urgently need funding for their survival, learning and protection,” the charity said in a press release yesterday.

“As the conflict enters its 12th year, 97% of the population is living below the poverty line, and more than 80% do not know where their next meal is coming from. Almost 20% of children in Syria are out of school, while a third of families say their children are showing signs of psychological distress.”

This, it added, makes it evident that “the international community has all but forgotten children in Syria and neighbouring countries.”

Donors at the sixth annual Brussels conference pledged $4.3 billion for this year and $2.4 billion “for 2023 and beyond”, while international financial institutions also pledged $1.8 billion in loans. The UN had sought $10.5 billion for 2022 alone.

The pledges match that of last year, though demands have skyrocketed.

READ: Qatar pledges $50m to war-ravaged Syrians