International donors have pledged USD 7.7bn in humanitarian aid for war-ravaged Syria

News24xx.com - At  a virtual conference hosted by the United Nations and the European Union, International donors have pledged USD 7.7bn in humanitarian aid for war-ravaged Syria. But, it still less than the almost USD 10bn sought by UN agencies, given the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic and shortfalls in other aid appeals, notably for Yemen earlier this month.

The pledges came from countries including Germany, which offered 1.58 billion euros (USD 1.78bn) in what Berlin said was the single biggest country donation, and Qatar, which promised USD 100m.

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UN aid chief Mark Lowcock said, "We recognise that the circumstances are very unusual, it is a difficult moment in every country to find the resources necessary to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people." 

The money pledged will be used to finance food, medical aid and schooling for the millions of Syrians displaced or forced into exile - many of whom are living with food insecurity.

However, aid group Oxfam said the sum was "simply not enough".

Now in its tenth year, the war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions, sparking a major refugee exodus. Recently, the humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by soaring food prices and the coronavirus crisis. 

The UN, which last year raised USD 7bn, said this year it needs USD 3.8bn for aid inside Syria.

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Some 11 million people require help and protection in Syria, with more than 9.3 million of them lacking adequate food.

Another USD 6bn is sought to help the 6.6 million Syrians who have fled, in what is the world's biggest refugee crisis.